In case you hadn’t noticed, here come the holidays! Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror while Christmas and New Years are looming on the horizon. It’s a crazy time of year to be sure.
In addition to the normal stress of life, it seems everything gets more hectic. At what other time of year do we park in the “south-forty” and then embark on an all-day trek across the parking lot just to get to the mall? Then there’s all the shopping, eating, parties, extended family...tired yet?
Under normal conditions, one of the hardest things to do in life is stay focused. We all want to be aware of life’s distractions and not allow them to keep us from the best things God has for us, but in today’s busy world, there’s just so many things demanding our attention.
In Philippians, Paul was struggling with some of our same everyday issues. So he developed a personal philosophy of living. He described it this way: “I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”. He knew if he was to maintain focus, he had to start by looking forward and not dwelling on the past.
He also knew our world suffers from a complete lack of focus. In fact, statistics show that workers between the ages of 18 and 38 change jobs an average of 10 times! The average attention span for kids is only 3-5 minutes; for adults it’s just 20 minutes! Can you say lack of focus?
Jesus, in a moment of frustration while dealing with his disciples said, “What a generation! No focus to your lives!” He knew that we don’t experience God’s best for our life because we’re easily distracted by things that don’t last.
Scripture gives us wonderful stories about people who were able to stay focused and achieve God’s best for their lives. Jacob worked 7 years to gain permission to marry his wife, Rachel, and then another 7 years to earn her freedom. That’s focus! Noah worked 120 years to build a boat he wasn’t even sure would float. That’s focus—and faith!
Science tells us the same wide beams of light that warm our days can become so focused they cut right through steel. How do we maintain that kind of focus in a world where it seems there are never enough hours in a day?
There was once a man named Gideon who was to lead an army against their enemy, but his back was already against the wall. With an army of only 32,000 soldiers they were hopelessly outnumbered, and by the time God was done, there were only 300 soldiers left. It seems God was looking for the ones who maintained focus in the middle of trying circumstances. God promised Gideon, “With these 300 men I will…give you victory."
The tests of life reveal our ability to stay focused. Those 300 soldiers knew danger was nearby—they couldn’t afford to become preoccupied when the potential cost was so great.
What easily distracts us in life and keeps us from experiencing God’s best? Our job? Selfish desires? Pride? When the majority of Gideon’s men were tested, they lost focus. They left themselves vulnerable for attack.
1 Peter 5:8 tell us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy…he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” But how do we stay alert?
Ephesians 6:18 says “Pray…at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert…” Do we react to situations or do we pray? We can’t allow life’s distractions to divert our focus from what’s really important. If you’re like me, you struggle with finding time to get to everything that’s important.
Gideon’s heroic story concludes with this entry. “Each man stood at his position…and watched as (the army) rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape.” Gideon’s men didn’t lose focus. They knew what was important.
Without God’s help, our best efforts end in complete frustration. We want to be good parents and spouses, good friends and family, but we think if we try hard enough we can change…and get frustrated when change doesn’t last. Proverbs 4:25 give us hope. “Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good.”
So amidst all of life’s distractions during this crazy season, let’s indentify what distractions in life are causing us to lose focus. Let’s ask God to help us make this a season to remember!