Focus

Lately it seems that so many things have been going on that I have lost focus on the things I really value. I read this week that our behavior reflects our true values. So if I say that my relationship with God is the most important thing to me, but I neglect to spend time reading and studying the Bible, and praying, then my actions reflect that I am untruthful about my values. You might say that I am unfaithful to my faith.

What things cause you to lose focus on your relationship with Jesus?

I have been focused on the assignments for the class I am taking this summer. I have focused on things that aren't getting done because I have assignments that I need to finish. I have focused on painful relationships. I have focused on food (Yes, in times of stress, food takes an important part in my life, which does not help the situation at all.) I have focused on what is not instead of what is.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Not everything that causes me to lose focus is an affliction. The opportunity to study and learn more about my professional duties is not an affliction. It is something that I enjoy. I have no physical suffering (unless you count that my hip hurts when I gain weight from so much stress eating) but we all experience some emotional suffering. That is part of life, and those things are light and momentary compared with the blessings God has for us when we place our focus on Him.

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day here. The temperatures were in the 80s with a nice cool breeze. I spent the majority of the day on the back porch. I read a chapter in my textbook. I wrote a short blog post. But most of the day I did nothing. I just sat. The view from my back porch is rejuvenating for me. I can see the pasture, the groves of trees, the pond, the horses, the cows. I watched the hummingbirds. However, I lost focus when the wasps started flying near me. I am not allergic to wasps but they terrify me. Why did wasps take my focus away from all that was good? Such a small thing in such a large picture, yet I was frightened. Isn't it the same with the "afflictions" we have on this earth? Our focus should be on all the blessings God has provided. First and foremost, He provided forgiveness of our sin by His sacrificial death on the cross. He resurrected and blessed us with his indwelling Spirit. We can have a personal relationship with the King of Kings. He provides for our needs. Why do we focus on the "wasps"?

My grandson was riding his bicycle in his neighborhood. We think he was hit by a car, but we don't know. He had a broken leg, a broken shoulder, several cuts and abrasions, and a severe concussion that as left him with some blurred vision. He does not remember what happened. The family was visiting with us this week. Since he can't really do the fun things that his siblings were doing on the farm, he was sitting on the back porch with me. He picked up the binoculars and was trying to see if his mother had caught a fish on the pond. He couldn't focus his eyes and the binoculars so he was seeing double. He couldn't make out what was going on.  Why was it difficult for him to focus? He had experienced a trauma. Maybe you have lost your focus because some event has hurt you emotionally. Hopefully, as my grandson recovers from the accident, his vision will return to normal. Honestly, we know that our lives never completely return to normal after an emotional trauma, but we can recover our focus.

My husband has diabetes. He has ongoing issues with his vision because of the effects of diabetes. Even though he is an intelligent, educated man, his oral reading sounds very much like a 2nd grade student because his eyes won't focus on the words on the page. He has lost his focus because of an ongoing problem with his health. Do we sometimes lose our focus on our relationship with Christ because of an ongoing spiritual health issue? Absolutely. Do we harbor bitterness? Are we self-centered? Are we prideful? Do we covet what others have? Are we jealous? And the list goes on. Have you lost your spiritual focus because of an ongoing spiritual health problem? Repent and pray that God will heal you.

Our focus is also affected by where we are looking. With my glasses, I can see far away, but not up close. Without my glasses, I can see up close but not far away. Let's just pretend that we are looking through the lens of our relationship with Jesus. The things up close (earthly things) aren't clear, but the things in the future (heaven) are much clearer to us.

After church we went to visit a church friend who had fallen off the table cleaning a light fixture. She had broken ribs, required surgery to repair broken vertebrae, and will be wearing a neck brace for the next 3 months. Even 4 weeks after her accident, their house is spotless. I should not have gone to visit her. Now my focus is on how filthy our house is. I realize that my husband is not healthy enough to do anything to keep the house clean. (He is healthy enough to make big messes though.) Our son, well, he isn't much help either. Our children who are on their own help us when they can, but they have their own lives. So, that means that all the responsibility for keeping our house clean has fallen to me, and I have failed terribly. Now my focus is not where it should be. But sometimes it's hard to know where our focus should be. Obviously, our relationship with Jesus is first priority. But after that, what is the next area where we need to focus. Providing for our families by going to work? Providing for our families by getting more education to get a better job? Taking care of our families by cooking, cleaning and doing laundry? Taking care of our own health so we can continue to provide for our families. I have no idea! Seeing our friend's house caused me to focus on my failure and to question why things are as they are.

Philippians 2:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

My focus isn't supposed to be me. I should consider others better than myself. The next verse says that we should look after our own interests, but also the interests of others. I realize that we can not look after, care for, others when we have not cared for our own health and mental well-being. So where should our focus be? We are to focus on one goal. If we continue reading the rest of Philippians 2, we find that one goal is to have the same attitude as Christ. This brings us back to our initial point. We should focus on our relationship with Christ Jesus so that we can be filled with His Spirit and have His attitude.