Morning Devotional
November  10, 2005
"Focus" (Part 1)      
    by Don Emmitte

I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. I hope all of you who are mature Christians will agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. (Philippians 3:12-15 NLT).

 

Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so funny? According to an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press, a pigeon walks the way it does so it can see where it's going. It can't adjust its focus as it moves so the pigeon actually has to bring its head to a complete stop between steps in order to refocus. This is the way it walks: head forward, stop, head back, and stop. Don't laugh, that's how it goes!

 

I believe we often have the same problem with focus as the pigeon. We live life on the move, or should we say on the run, and it makes it hard to focus our lives. Occasionally we need to stop and refocus our lives. A focused life has to do with what the mind’s eye is set on. There is a saying: "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, you can achieve." I believe there is much truth in this statement. It says much about human potential; but it says much more about the focus of our lives. What we conceive has to do with focusing our minds. The sharper your focus, the greater your chances will be of reaching your potential. In the next few days I want us to examine how we can focus our lives better.

 

First, faith is believing in what we conceive. A willingness to believe in what our minds conceive is an essential element in achieving. There can be no focus without faith. For what we place our faith in becomes the focus of our lives. Faith has to do with what we strive for. Belief implies a strong-minded pursuit of what our heart is set on. Achievement is realized when we set our hearts on what we conceive. "Whatever your mind can conceives and believes, you can achieve." The only shortcoming of this statement is that it doesn’t give us anything to focus our lives on beyond human potential. It only speaks of conceiving and believing as a means to achieving our potential. This statement doesn’t stress the importance of the object of our faith. It doesn’t stress the importance of what is achieved. However, it is what we believe in that matters most of all. The important question is: "Is my mind focused and what is my mind focused on?"

 

Your life deserves to be focused on the highest possible goal time and eternity affords. Why settle for any less, when the best is within your reach. So, first focus all your mind and heart on Christ. That is the first step toward realizing all your goals.