WHAT’S YOUR FOCUS ON?
Many times I’m afraid we focus on the wrong things. Things such as, what’s going to happened tomorrow, will I be able to make it until payday, what will I wear, what will I eat or drink? But as the chief demon, Screwtape, tells the imp and lesser demon Wormwood, in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, “If we can just keep them worried about yesterday and the future, we’ll keep their minds off of eternity and today.”
When we allow ourselves to worry over those two periods of time, one which is ‘locked away’ and the other we have no control over, we lose the essence of life which must be lived in today. How do we bring ourselves to do that? Realize, believe, and trust in who God really is. Jesus said it this way, Then he (Jesus) said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3 (NLT)
As Oswald Chambers said in My Utmost for His Highest, “The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just of what He is going to do next.” Let me illustrate this in the life of one of our own members who had planned on going on the mission trip to the Dominican Republic this month but didn’t know how they would get the money to do so, and neither did we. But God showed up through anonymous donors who’ve paid for four such trips. This was the response upon being notified they had received funding:
“I had been worrying a lot about how I would pay for the mission trip and still be able to pay my bills when I got home. But I was going to do it anyway and trust GOD to take care of me. You know I took Pastor Steve’s challenge a few weeks ago on tithing and have been giving more without running out of money like I thought I would. You don’t know how hard it was for me to put my prayer request on that connection card; I have a lot of foolish pride and its hard not to be the "strong one" or to ask for help - even for prayer, but God takes care of all his children and I finally realize I have no power over my life and I need to stop fighting His grace and His plans; don’t know who to thank for this wonderful gift so I will just thank God and you for keeping me in your thoughts.”
It’s like this: whatever I FOCUS on is what I’ll see. When I see my problems against the backdrop of the Cross, Christ’s provision becomes my daily supply for all Eternity.
Keep your FOCUS!
Pastor Steve
1 comment:
This was gooooooooood Steve! And it helped me stay focused. have a great time in sunny CA!
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