STAY Focused

Okay, now that my focus has shifted, how do I STAY focused?

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despisiing the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:2

When I was a young girl growing up, in my attempt to persuade my mother to let me do something, I would plead, "Please, Mom, all my friends can do it." This did not work with my mother, however, for she would invariably always respond with, "If all your friends were going to jump off the bridge, would you want to do that, too?" Of course, that response would make me mad, and I would say, "Of course not, I have more sense than that" and she would respond, "Well, then, use it!"

I thought of that the other day when I was at the gym, trying to get back into shape, exercising my bad knee and my back, in hopes that they wouldn't turn on me again.  As I hobbled around the track, many, many people were running circles around me, some were even walking circles around me. It made me mad! And, if I am brutally honest, it made me feel like an old granny (ahh, but, maybe, that's the rub??) and I wondered what all those runners were thinking of me, out there hobbling around!

I then sensed the Lord say, "Stay focused. Never mind what everyone else around you is doing, never mind what they think of you, you stay focused on your goal." But I wanted to be out there running, well, at least walking faster, like the rest of them were. I wanted the others to think I could keep up with them!

"..And when he (Jesus) had spoken this, he said unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper and said, 'Lord, which is he that betrays thee? Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus said unto him, I f I will that he tarry til I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me."  

John 21:19b-22 (words in bold mine)

In Donna's translation, Jesus was basically saying - What is it to you what he does or what I do with him? I'm telling you - follow me!!

I need to care less about what other people think is true about my life and care far more about what God knows is true about my heart.

Stay focused!

It's hard at times, isn't it? Especially when what you need to stay focused on isn't something particularly exciting or what you're enjoying.

Stay focused! It's hard at times to stay focused when others are doing so much more than we are and doing what we would like to be doing! And yet, we're stuck!

When I keep my eyes on Jesus and what He is speaking into my life, I can be very content - until - I see someone else doing something else; something much better than where the Lord has me at the moment, and I want to be doing what they're doing. I want to be where they are.

The Lord has to gently bring my focus back to where He wants it. Back on Him and what He's speaking to me in this moment.

The grass seems to be greener over there at times - doesn't it?  It may appear that what others are focused on is more interesting, more fun, more exciting than what the Lord has us focused on. But, it only is if it's what He has called us to focus on!

When we invest our time and energy where He instructs, then things come into sharper focus and He can bless our obedience to Him.

When we "mind our own business" we can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary problems.

Never mind what others are doing, You follow me!