Choose Your Focus

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 ESV).

A friend of mine is a photographer. You can see his work at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/danny-pickens.html. He has an eye for things I would never notice. I like to think of myself as someone who can see the beauty of God in everything; however, when I see some of his art, I have no choice but to admit I am nothing but a novice. Perhaps it is because he’s willing to look past the obvious and see the small things. As a result he ends up with breathtaking photos that I may have completely overlooked. This is the result of focus. Our reading today reminds us that focus in our life is important in every area. How I view my own life is dependent on what I choose to focus on. From some angles, it looks like a mess. But from other vantages, it is beautiful. My perspective all depends on where I focus. Many of us have had those conversations with our physician when we are told that we need to alter our life habits. We are directed to lay aside the way of life we were accustomed to and start a new life. It may be a life where dependence on others was necessary and independence was a thing of the past. That kind of life can be disappointing at best. Often it is terribly painful. This new life is something we certainly don’t ask for, and we usually don’t want. However, we can be thankful for it. It requires focus. I’ve had that kind of conversation with a physician before. In fact there have been several of those pivotal moments when it seemed nothing but loss surrounded me. It would have been easy to become a person who preferred misery and pain. The interesting truth is that it was out of these challenges that some of the most satisfying things in my life began. Even this daily exercise in writing a brief thought of inspiration and encouragement is rooted in one of those times. Our time spent in North Carolina and Tennessee was all precipitated by some of the most difficult of circumstances. Yet, as these experiences unfolded, it became apparent that they were some of the greatest blessings God could have provided for us. We spent time with our first grandchildren; we made new friends that have become dear to us; and, we spent time with family that had been geographically separated from us for decades. That’s what God does! This is the time of the year to reevaluate our focus. Like photography, as well as life itself, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I don’t know what the future holds for me, and you don’t know what it holds for you, but I can promise you this: If you are in Christ, the one who holds you is guiding all your circumstances. And for that assurance, we can all be thankful.