As I reflect back on
my own journey I have had plenty of focuses over the past 50 years. When I was a boy I focused on playing after
school, fishing and baseball. When I became a teenager I focused on girls,
partying and driving my own car. In those
early years the focus could change based on friends and influence, but the
focus was always ME. But the ME I kept
the focus on was falling apart even at a young age. I began to let sin direct
my paths every day. I listened to the sinful nature direct my paths to get what
I wanted when I wanted it. By the time I had graduated from high school I was a
mess! Granted I graduated, had a job and a car and even my own “place” by the
age of 18, but I was miserable.
When I was introduced to Jesus I decided that His ways offered hope to my life and
circumstances, but yet it was still focused around "ME". Within a few short
months I realized I needed to shift the focus from ME to the focus on God. In Church language we would call that being
consecrated to the will of God and then by faith being Sanctified entirely by
His grace. It was within 2 months of
surrendering the "ME" of ME to the Will of Him that I discovered I could still
have focuses in life that I enjoyed and still be “Him focused” without being “ME
focused”. I could enjoy the things and subjects of life as He created me to enjoy
them.
In my year book
before I was even saved and very much lost in sin I had written that one of my
ambitions in life was to travel. To this day I still enjoy traveling. Yet the
travel desire before I was saved was turned into a God focused travel. Since becoming set free from sin I have been
blessed to travel to a number of countries and places for the purpose of His
kingdom that has given me far greater joy on multiple levels then had I just travel for ME.
Today I am a pastor and my life focus and calling is to
minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But in the midst of His calling and “His
focus” for my life I can still focus on many things I have always enjoyed
without being detracted from the “Main Focus”. Baseball, exploring the world, fishing , motorcycles and so many other focuses can still be enjoyed, yet with a God focus first and foremost. Regardless that I was called into ministry or not God wants all believers “main
focus” to be His focus. You can be a
doctor or lawyer, salesman, factory worker or real estate broker with a “God
Main Focus”. Regardless of what you do, God wants each heart to have a God Focus
in life! Just today I was reading an email of a God
focused real estate guy asking if anyone had a heart to use a couple of his properties
for God’s glory. I know this man and even though he buys and sells real estate
his “Main Focus” is a “God Focus”
If every born again
believer would keep the focus of their everyday life on what God wanted and
when he wanted it we would have an every expanding Kingdom of God in our midst.
I still love fishing, motorcycles, traveling, beaches and hiking in the woods. I can enjoy those sports, places and
activities with God and for God’s Glory if I keep the “Main FOCUS” on Him
instead of ME.
When we have a “Me Focus” , life will eventually disintegrate
and usually it will make others’ lives around us miserable in the midst of it
as well. Living for Christ is to be a
surrendered holy life that is sin free
and set free to follow the Lord while keeping the ‘Main Focus’ our “Life Focus.”
