Focus On God

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is easy to get to get distracted and lose focus of what is most important. The hardships of life and circumstance can easily distract us from focusing on God. As a result, we can begin to allow discouragement, depression, oppression, fear and other emotions shift our focus.

There is more going on in the context of this passage in 1 Corinthians 2:2 but this verse hit me. I believe that we have to determine to focus on God and what He wants us to focus on.

As we focus on God, we allow His power to work in and through our lives. We can be a vessel that He can use to allow others to see His power at work. Leading people to Him; to Jesus!

Repent

When we repent we are turning away from the way we used to do things. We start making decisions continually that align with the word of God.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Facing Challenges

When facing challenges I believe that there are two things we can do. We can choose not to face it or choose to face it head on. How we think will determine what we do. Emotions will try to stop us from facing the challenge. If we have the right mindset then we will not allow our emotions to keep us from facing the challenge. The right mindset will help us to keep our emotions in check and face that challenge head on.

There were multiple challenges that I had to face within the last couple of months. Believe me when I say that I wanted to give up on some of these challenges. One was a work challenge that took me four tries to finally over come. I was starting to get discouraged after the first couple of times because I wasn’t able to figure it out. The only positive thing that I could take from each time was that I learned something new each time. Finally on the fourth time I was able to overcome the challenge.

There are challenges that I am currently facing right now. One of the biggest challenges is getting out of credit card debt. Over the years we have gotten ourselves in a ridiculous amount of credit card debt. It was actually at the beginning of this year when we felt like there was not going to be a way to get out. We felt like we were drowning in debt.

God showed up and we were able to receive a great blessing that has allowed us to get a jump start at tackling our credit card debt. Now the challenge is to keep getting out and stay out. This is a challenge that is ongoing but at least now we can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. We have a long ways to go but with God’s help we are going to make it through. He has been faithful and at least now we don’t feel like we are drowning in debt.

If not for God’s faithfulness we would be in a worse condition. God love for us is amazing. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there for us. I want to encourage you today and let you know that God is faithful. It does take perseverance because at times you will feel like giving up. Don’t allow your emotions to take you away from what God has for you. Keep on going in the Lord.

The Lord Is Good

“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” – Lamentation 3:25

We will see the Lord’s goodness as we wait for Him and seek Him. We seek Him in prayer, reading and studying His Word, and worshipping Him. God is good!

Give Him All

> “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV

It is a command from to love Him with everything. This command should be easy for us if we understand that He first loved us. He demonstrated His love towards us by sending His only Son, Jesus to die for us. He paid the debt that could never be repaid. Even when we reject Him He still loves us. This alone should drive us to love Him with everything. He is worthy of our love!

Seek Him

“33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. – Matthew 6:33-34” (NLT)

This is something so simple yet something that we overlook many times. We can get so caught up in our circumstances that we allow worry and anxiety to set in. Today remember that all we need to do is seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek Him and give Him control over everything. Only He can give us the strength and wisdom to make it through.

His Will

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is a portion of scripture that I’ve read time and time again. I still find myself coming back to remind myself that I need to keep my focus on Him. The only way that happens is by consistently allowing the Holy Spirit to renew my mind to transform me. It is amazing how easy it is to start to conform ourselves to the pattern of this world and getting away from what God has for us.

The pattern we need to follow is the pattern of God; His will. His will is good, pleasing and perfect. There is nothing that compares to His will. He knows better than anyone what is best for us. He knows everything about us. He knows our future.

If we follow His will we are sure to be victorious! It is up to us to maintain our relationship with Him and consistently be renewing our minds through prayer, worship and studying the Word of God. We will be transformed as we continue in those things.

Stay Focused

​Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

HEBREWS 12:1‭-‬2 AMP
http://bible.com/1588/heb.12.1-2.AMP

There is a lot in this portion of scripture but what stands out to me today is the part about “focusing our eyes on Jesus.”
It is important for us to always stay focused on Jesus no matter where we are in life. He is the one that will give us what we need in every situation.

There are things that will come to try to distract us from what God wants to do in our lives, but we have to make a decision daily to keep our focus on Him. He is the “Perfecter” of our faith. 

We Need Him

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 NLT

http://bible.com/116/jhn.15.5.NLT

We live in a time where more than ever we need to stay connected to God. He wants to be our source and strength. If we truly want to be fruitful then we need to keep our focus on Him. We can’t let the distracts around us take our focus off Him because He will give us all we need to go through every circumstance in our lives.

Our Identity

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

1 Peter 2:9‭-‬10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1pe.2.9-10.NLT

Our identity comes from God not by our race, social status, faults, or our talents. When we understand who we are in Him our lives will demonstrate His goodness and the victory we have in Him. People will see the power of God as we will walk in our identity that comes from Him.