Thursday thoughts: Where's your F-O-C-U-S?

True confession: my mind wanders. It doesn't necessarily wander during a conversation, but more when I am alone. I can analyze a situation over and over. It can be very harmful and deceiving at times because I have the ability to allow myself to think of several outcomes to any problem in my life.

Most of the time, they are not positive outcomes. I almost feel like I have to prepare myself for anything and everything that could "possibly" happen. The result is that I lose my focus.

My focus is on the problem and not on God, who holds all the answers to my problems. I forgot that He already knows the outcome. With all the distractions this world has to offer, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that God has it all under control.

So many things compete for my attention and take my focus - worries, responsibilities, and finances are just a few. I have to remind myself that God's Word tells me to seek Him first. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." God knows exactly what I need.

I taught myself a word to remember for each letter of the word "focus." One thing I noticed right away is that the letter "C" was the middle letter of the word focus. I reminded myself that "C" stands for Christ. Christ has to be the center of all my thoughts to keep my focus where it needs to be. That's just a little bonus thought for my acrostic.

Faith - Hebrews 11:6: "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Faith can keep our eyes and focus on Jesus even when we are tempted by places our mind wants to take us. Our faith leads us when the path is unclear, when our concerns are great, and when the road is rocky. We must have faith that our God is able!

Obedience - John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commands." Obedience can strengthen your focus. Obedience when times are difficult and unclear opens the door for God to work in our lives. Obedience says God's way and wisdom are greater than anything I could ever do. Obedience is love for God, and in obeying, He provides peace for us.

Christ - Colossians 1:17: "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." I can think of so many words that describe the results of keeping Christ in the center. He is the calm in the storm, cares for the hurting, cleanses us from sin, changes our perspective, carries our burdens, creates in us a new heart, counsels us, and calls us to follow Him. He can always clear and keep my focus - take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Understanding - Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." To keep our focus, we must have understanding. To understand, we have to spend time in God's word and prayer. If we want to have a God-centered focus, we must know who He is and trust Him completely.

Serve and Share - Hebrews 13:16: "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." The best way to get your focus off of your problems is to put your focus into helping and sharing with others. Don't become self-centered and have eyes that cannot see others. God wants us to share His love with others. Our focus becomes clearer and our path brighter when we look for ways to love, encourage, and help those around us. Serving and sharing strengthens our focus.

 Focus isn't just a word; it's a daily choice in life. When our focus is on Christ, our faith is greater than our fears, obedience is our answer, our understanding of Him grows, and serving and sharing His love becomes our purpose. FOCUS is where your heart thrives if your focus is on the life-changing purpose of the God we serve. May we run with perseverance the race before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus and our focus on following Him.

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