This week we look at “Focus.”
The devil doesn’t need to get you to sin to miss the mark, all he needs to do is distract you, and you can still miss the mark. Too many Christians live good life’s but they are so busy with the wrong things that they are still ineffective in the Kingdom. The Tree in the Garden of Eden was called the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. One Tree, producing either good or evil, but it still was not the tree of Life. Too many people are busy with good things but it still produces death.
What has your focus? Are you distracted?
Jesus was one of the most focused people you will find. Nothing could distract him from his mission. Peter tried once but Jesus corrected him.
What should be our focus?
- If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.
Seek those things that are above! What a great call for us to do things different. When we are faced with difficulty or an unplanned need, what do we look at first? Do we see what we don’t have or do we see what God has. So many times our first action or response to something is to look at the lack or the need in front of us. Let me just say that God can use our need to show us greater things about himself..
God has been challenging me this past week about what I focus on. Think about all the things going on in our country right now. There are a lot of things that is stealing our focus of what is really important. Should I be involved or should I ignore it. I have not watched the news for almost a year now. Why? It is too distracting. I have deliberately minimized my time on social media for the same reason as well.
Do I think that politics is unimportant? Absolutely not. We must let our voice be heard. How do I navigate my focus?
There is a difference between a need and a necessity.
Because Jesus was focused on his mission, He was never driven by a need. Think about the time He was faced by five thousand hungry people. Some of them followed Him for days not eating. They were so captured by what was happening that they forgot to plan for their provision. This was a great need but they had to see the greater thing happening. They needed food but the greater need or necessity was for them to see God’s provision.
Think about the time the wine run out at the wedding and they needed more wine. A wedding without wine to celebrate. Think about the shame for the host. It looked like he didn’t plan well. They needed wine but the greater necessity was for them to see God’s Glory. Their need was not the reason Jesus did the miracle of changing water into wine. Look at what John 2:11 says:
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
They needed to focus and see the ability of his provision more than they needed more wine or more bread. Jesus just used the wine as a means to show them God’s ability.
We must develop the understanding to see what people need or what is necessary so that people have an experience. When we minister to people we can easily focus on the need but is it more important for them to encounter the One that can use their need to reveal himself?
I believe this is what Paul is telling us. Look at the things above and not at the things on the earth. In God you will find all you need, but your need becomes a place and channel where he reveals his goodness to you, and what was necessary.
Seek those things that are above! You are a dispenser of the things of God.
