Read:
Luke 12:29-34
“He
will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and
wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” – Isaiah 42:6
I want to tell you a
secret! It will change your life because it will help you to … Change
Your Focus. I used to be a very negative, melancholy person, drowning in the depressing
circumstances of my life. The intense dread I felt over the situations I
encountered kept me living in a constant state of anxiety and tension. I lived
most of my time with my stomach in knots, taking very shallow breaths. The
situations deepened so much at times, that I felt like I would burst if I held
my breath a minute longer! Does this sound familiar? Let me tell you how God
changed this aspect of my life.
The Bible reminded me that
Jesus taught us by example how to relate to our circumstances. He had the most
horrifying of all experiences, when He faced the scourging and the cross of
Calvary. As I prayed about my fears and anxieties over life, I realized that so
far my circumstances had not yet killed me! Therefore, hope must be hidden in
my circumstances somewhere! I wanted to learn from Jesus’ example, so I turned
to the Bible.
Jesus, when He entered his
time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, focused on the upcoming pain of the
cross and He began to sweat blood, as well as water. But then, He changed His
focus from the pain of the cross to the joy that awaited Him back in Heaven.
This is how He was able to endure the horrifying circumstances of the cross. He
changed His focus!
Paul learned this lesson
also. Look at Hebrews 12:2… “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and then sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” Paul suggests that we look to
Jesus and follow His example.
Jesus kept His focus on
eternal matters, and the earthly matters faded into the distance. He was able
to endure the circumstances of a brutal beating and crucifixion by picturing
His relationship with His Father. We too must take our eyes off our
circumstances and put them on the joy that Jesus provides in the midst of those
situations.
Here are some practical ways
to apply this knowledge. As you go through life, pay close attention to your
body, your thoughts, and your feelings. What kinds of thoughts preoccupy your
mind? Have you taken the time to identify them? Feelings such as worry,
anxiety, discontentment, and anger are the result of your soul ~ your mind,
will and emotions ~ trying to communicate with you. Ask God to show you what is
causing those feelings. Do you need to forgive someone? Do you need to
apologize? Are you feeling guilty over some past event? Can you do anything about
it? Are you concerned about the future? What are you worried about
specifically?
The Serenity Prayer gives us
a guideline here. Pray that God will give you the wisdom to know what
situations you can change, and which you must leave in His hands. Ask Him for
the strength to deal with the issues that He reveals are your responsibility
and to turn the rest over to Him with an attitude of acceptance about them. You
cannot change them, so praise God for them, in them, and through
them. By doing this, you can walk in serenity.
What is it in your life
that is causing you a problem? Ask God
to help you change the situation. If He does not show you how to change
your circumstances, then ask Him to help you to change your focus about the
dilemma, so that you can accept it as His will for you at this time.
Prayer:
God grant me the serenity to
accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and
wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at
a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all
things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this
life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr
Thought for the Day:
I guarantee that changing
your focus from an earthly perspective to an eternal one will bring you joy
unspeakable that is full of God's glory!