Some things that we do in life do not require special attention on our part. We can successfully complete some tasks while we have the radio blaring and are talking on the telephone at the same time. Other tasks, however, require us to be completely focused on what we are doing. One that drives a school bus had better keep his attention on the task at hand. The same goes for a doctor that is performing open-heart surgery or a restaurant worker that is pouring hot grease. In so many endeavors in life, for one to lose his focus can cause unpleasant results, even real disaster.
As Christians we, too, need to stay focused. We need to always keep in mind who we are, what our purpose in life is, and where we are headed. If we fail to keep our focus, we will soon get off course and into great spiritual danger. On what should the children of God stay focused? Though there may be many correct responses to that question, we want to point out three obvious answers.
For one thing, God’s children must stay focused on Jesus. After all, He is the One whom we are following! Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27). If we are to “follow his steps” (I Pet. 2:22), then we need to pay attention to where His steps lead us. Yes, it is “Follow the Leader,” but it is not a game. On that occasion when Peter walked on water toward Jesus, in the beginning he walked with no problem. Every indication is that at first he was focused on Jesus and not the strong wind. However, when Peter “saw the wind boisterous “his attention stayed on the potential danger and he was afraid (Matt. 14:29,30). Surely a key lesson from Peter’s stroll is for us to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and not on the storms of life.
All of us are involved in so many activities in life. Some of them are activities at school, at work, or at home. Some of them may be personal acts of kindness or actually part of the work of the church. First century saints that were running “the Christian race” were exhorted to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1,2). May we ever be like the apostle Paul, who said of himself, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Let us all strive to do our best not to lose sight of the fact that Jesus needs to be the center of our focus. He died that we might live through Him. That ought to be on our minds each day.
Second, followers of Jesus must stay focused on the word of God. Today there is a push to get away from “too much Bible.” We expect such from those outside of Christ. It is disheartening, though, to see such an attitude among brethren. Some 21st century saints spend little private time studying God’s word and at the same time they want Bible classes turned into a social hour, shorter sermons, and bulletins that are filled with cute stories and social activities instead of Bible-related materials.
Brethren, we have got to keep our attention on the word of the living God! It is God’s word that “is able to save” our souls (Jas. 1:21). Nothing else can do that. It is God’s word that serves as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Psa. 119:105).
Nothing else can do that. It is God’s word that can build us up and give us an inheritance among the sanctified (Acts 20:32). Nothing else can do that. Let us be like babies and “desire the sincere milk of the word that ye (we) may grow thereby” (I Pet. 2:2). Keep this thought in mind: it is impossible to stay properly focused on Jesus without staying focused on His teaching. When some of Jesus’ disciples left Him to walk no more with Him, Jesus turned to the apostles and asked, “Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6: 67,68). To turn away from Jesus was to turn away from the source of the words of life! Remember, Jesus said, ”And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46). Staying with Christ means staying with His word. And, keeping focused on Jesus includes staying focused on His word.
Finally, followers of Jesus must stay focused on heaven. Going to heaven when our earthly life is over – that is what all this is about! Going to heaven must be the goal that pushes us, the reward that drives us, the destination on which our attention is focused. By faith, Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). He, along with Sarah, Isaac and Jacob desired “a better country, that is, an heavenly” place (Heb. 11:16). You and I must share that same longing. Hear the truth of II Timothy 2:4: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” As soldiers of Christ, we must not allow ourselves to become entangled or bogged down with the affairs of this earthly life. We must keep our focus on heaven! Jesus taught His disciples, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasurer is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:20,21). May our desires ever be set on things above, where Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1,2).
Satan would love to get us so distracted that we would not focus on that which we need to. May the Lord help us all to stay focused on Jesus, His word, and heaven as our final dwelling place.
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