What has God placed in your life that he wants you to focus on the most?

“Are you kidding me?” you might say, “I have gobs of things that are requiring my attention.”

Truly, in specific times, there are urgent happenings that pull us away and turn life upside down, but if we’re not focused, we can allow a circus of activity to set us into a spin.

Have you ever watched a ballerina flitting across the stage? Bowing, bending, leaping, twirling? We may feel like that is a good picture of our lives.

She has practiced many hours to make it all seem graceful, beautiful, even easy, but with every spin, she must keep focused. She puts her eyes on a focal point and with each spin, her eyes come back to that focal point.

Same thing with ice skaters. They twirl and spin and every time they end up looking at the judges again or facing the camera after a spin. They have a focal point.

I’m not a ballerina and I’m not spinning when I drive, but when I pull out of my subdivision, the street becomes a narrow two-lane road. Along the way, I pass through two bridges over ravines, making it feel even more narrow. I have found that I must focus on my path, my side of the road, not the oncoming car. Only when I do that, am I able pass through successfully.

The Lord wants our focus on Him. When we do so, He says,

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 

But if our focus is on things, activities, needs, failures, or deadlines, we have taken our eyes off of the Lord and will spin off the trail.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us to—

. . . throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles . . .

Instead,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . . Hebrews 12:1-2

That comes in many ways: hearing sermons, reading devotional material, Bible studies, discussions with believers, but having your own private time with the Lord is essential. Spending time in His Word and in prayer every day is challenging, but it is the focus that keeps us connected to the vine.

We know that. Let’s do it!

Your fellow spinner,

~ Joyce ~