Where's Your Focus?

Proverbs‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭- Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.

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Conversed with a friend the other morning. As always, we brought God into our conversation. She admitted having had a pity party about no one calling her, except me. Not even her family calls. I said I didn't get many calls either, but isn't that okay? Yes, friends and family are important, but it is our relationship with the Lord that is most important. As the days go by, in the quietness or bustle, we can be with Him. We can converse with Him...and call on Him...or He may call on us! 

I mentioned how the thought has come to me how I desire that the things of this world truly would grow strangely dim in the light of Jesus' glory and grace (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus). I blogged on this a few days ago. I said I was beginning to realize just how unimportant some things were getting. She has been going through that too. I'm not where I'd like to be but I think He is doing something, working things out.

The thought came to mind...and I shared with her...I love photography. I take a lot of pictures. Some day, though, they will all get thrown out or deleted because they will have absolutely no meaning to anyone else. (I'm okay with that; I have settle in my spirit they are nothing in light of what lies ahead.) 

Then another thought came to mind. The desire to be solely focused on Jesus is like finding a subject to photograph and zeroing in and focusing on just that subject while everything else is out of focus. That's the image of staying focused only on the Lord. Nothing else should matter.

Keeping our eyes upon Him blocks out all the other things. Lord, let every day be one day closer to letting go of the world's issues and priorities and bringing my focus more on You. 

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (‭‭1Corinthians‬ ‭13:12‬)

Those who know Christ see Him now partially through the power of His Spirit and His Word. We know much about His character. Some day we all will see Him. It will be either a great experience or not. Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭- ...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...

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I see things in life through the eyes of God. I question and wonder a lot. But I know that it is what it is and that God will always be in complete control. If I am focused on Him, the One whom I trust, I will be secure. I can't imagine what it would be like not having this hope. I hold on to that hope, walk in faith, hopefully will remain steadfast to the end. 

Philippians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭- Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

My Choice

John‬ ‭15‬:‭17-19 - These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

We are told that we will be blessed if we: have a poor spirit, are mournful, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness' sake. The kingdom of heaven, God's comfort, inheriting the earth, being filled with God's righteousness, receiving His mercy, seeing Him, and being called sons of God will all be ours in our steadfastness in Him. (Matthew 5:3-10)

I choose to remain steadfast in Him whatever may occur. We are not to let the cares of the world overcome us. We are to keep our focus on heavenly things and remain faithful to Jis a Word. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (‭I Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭11-12)

We may be hated for our beliefs. But as He stated above, Jesus was too. It may sound arrogant to say we are not of the world. Anyone can have this, however, if they choose Jesus.

In all things we must follow the Lord. Nothing can come before Him, not family or friends. We might just lose them in our commitment to what is right. I remember when I asked God after He directed me to do something and I asked how I could leave all the friends I had made... He reminded me: ... “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭48-50‬)  My true brothers and sisters are those who also follow Him. 

This is where I stand. It could be a very difficult road. I know I'm still in need of some work, some strength and purification. But I look to the end. I find it hard to look back to what I used to believe. I stand on the Word of God and it's truth. I stand with the God of my salvation. It's all about which path to take. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life. 

Philippians 3:13-14 - Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Steadfast Faith

Luke 9:62 - But Jesus said to him [a follower], "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Of course! A truer statement never existed. God's Word is truth! This means that once you've chosen to follow Jesus, have accepted Him and been baptized into the family of God, you cannot look back from where you'd been, choose to return and still enter the Kingdom. 

I've often thought myself fickle, jumping from one thing to another. I guess I'm always looking for something new and constant change--of things or direction. Just ask my husband! I have more cross stitch or knitting/crocheting projects going at one time. I need a bit of change occasionally...or more like always. But one of my life's events stands firm...my love of Christ. I can't imagine going back to the way I was or the way I thought. It's His love that draws me daily. Tomorrow it will be my eleventh year of Christ! I look forward to this spiritual birthday with more enthusiasm than my physical birthday.

I'm so thankful that the soil of my heart was fertile and is now being well-watered and cared for. I'm thankful the tiny seed took root and grew. Oh, there are weeds that pop up occasionally that need to be removed. I'm thankful as well that I have a heavenly Gardener who will help me with that chore.

I think of Lot's wife. As Lot and his family fled Sodom prior to it's destruction, his wife was told not to look back or she would turn into a pillar of salt...God's words of warning. Don't we sometimes look back and think about, maybe even long, for something from our past because it was a comfort at the time, a good season of life? Those days are over even if they were good times. We can think on those things, but to long for them, no. If we have received Christ and have left behind our sin and unrighteous life, we surely should not be looking back. There are so many more pleasant and great things to look forward to, even in the midst of our own little or great destructions that might come to us. I don't know what "Mrs. Lot" was longing for considering the lifestyles of the people in her city, but she couldn't resist. Perhaps she was just a bit fearful about where they were headed, their new life. Perhaps her faith wasn't as strong as her husband's. At any rate, she didn't get very far before she chose to look back...and lose her place in the Kingdom...and became that pillar of salt. 

It's all about faith. I know I've made the right choice in life...at last...I wish it had been sooner. So now it's my faith that keeps me looking forward with eyes and heart open for the next thing God wants me to do. My past is over and although I've failed a few times, that's all over and I need only to keep my eyes focused on the Lord. Oh, I'll fail again, I'm sure. Hopefully my failure will be less.

Faith means being steadfast, holding to the words of Christ and believing that what we have let go of is well worth it. Only the future things, in and through Christ, are worthy.

Oh, the faith it takes when we cannot see our future. At least not our earthly future. Don't look back. Look forward to that heavenly reward. That's the most important. Stand firm.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end...Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (Hebrews 3:14, 1Corinthians 15:58)