How do you respond when things are not yet going the way you envisioned? How do you handle it when things go wrong? Do you complain, get mad and let your outward demeanor show it?
See what Job did when it seemed all hell broke lose on him, Job 1:20 says, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped” (ESV). Job mourned for his losses and found a way to return his focus to God.
Sometimes, it becomes very easy to get overwhelmed with the responsibilities of life, family, work and the likes. And the last person we forget to go to about it all is God. The truth is only Jesus Christ can give us the peace and rest our heart often yearns for that will free us from every burden.
As Christians, we often find ourselves struggling to maintain our focus on God amidst the distractions of everyday life. Technology, communication, and entertainment aren’t the only source of distractions in our lives. The pace of work and family life often squeeze out time and mental bandwidth for staying connected to God. Our attention can easily be diverted by all the demands of work, family, and social media, leaving us feeling spiritually drained and disconnected from our God.
In Luke 10:41-42, Jesus said “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
We must always remember that there’s only one important thing in life and that is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him and being conformed to His image.
The truth is that, we will be more oppressed by the worries of the life and the things we put above Him, if we do not always learn to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ in the place of fellowship. We can do a lot of other things, but if we neglect to sit at the feet of Jesus and spend time with Him, we have missed the mark.
We can’t afford to make Jesus wait. We need Him always. Let us refocus our attention on Him and not only on our to-do lists or goals that need to happen. Our peace gets robbed when we take our eyes off Jesus.
David writes in Psalm 27:3-4, “…though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
Moreso, in Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus emphasizes the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind. This requires our undivided attention, which can be challenging to maintain in today’s busy world. However, neglecting our attention for God can have severe consequences, as seen in Hosea 4:6, where God’s people are destroyed due to a lack of knowledge of Him.
Now, to reignite our attention on God, we must first identify the distractions that divert our focus from Him. These may include:
– Busyness: Overcommitting ourselves and leaving no time for God (Luke 10:38-42).
– Social media and other unnecessary activities or habits. (Proverbs 25:28).
– Fear and worry: Allowing fear and worry to dominate our thoughts (Matthew 6:25-34).
So, how can we begin to reignite our attention on God? Here are some practical tips:
– Prioritize personal devotional time with God daily: learn to establish a consistent quiet time with God anytime of the day, free from distractions (Psalm 46:10).
– Practice mindfulness: Cultivate the mindfulness of God’s presence with you in your daily activities.Take pauses during the day, mental time out. Turn your attention to God with a quick prayer as you remind yourself of his presence. Psalm 119:15.
– Engage in Spontaneous worship: Regularly engage in worship and thankfulness all day, using music and prayer to focus your attention on God (Psalm 100:4-5).
– Stillness and silence helps turn our thoughts to God. Praying this phrase from Psalm 46 is helpful: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
– Serve others: Serve others and God’s purposes (Matthew 25:31-46).
– Ask God for his help and then trust him to help you develop deeper attention over time.
The Book of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of fixing and focusing our eyes on Jesus. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.”
Focusing on God rather than the challenges we face really comes down to choosing to focus on God’s truth rather than the facts of our current situation. When we focus on those challenges, we focus on our impossibilities, whereas when we focus on God and His word, we focus on all that is possible with and through Him.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
As we can see in the above scripture, that Jesus already told us ahead of time that we will all suffer trouble in this world, but he wants us to understand and know that our focus should not be on the trouble but on his peace, and the victory that we already have in Him.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32.
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Shalom!
