Where's Your Focus?

Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. - Ephesians 5:17 (Msg)


Are you looking for a vision for your life? I am. I've taken this summer to try and really focus on what God would have me do with my life.

Earlier in the summer, I took a couple of days retreat in the mountains ... and despite being teased about eating at a restaurant a couple times and not really "communing with nature" it was nevertheless an attempt at trying to get direction from God.

Also, this summer, I've had a 40-day focus on trying to discover my purpose. I combined reading Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life again, Bible reading, note-taking, and prayer.

Do I have a vision or goal for my life right now? Well, in some aspects I do, in others I don't. However, these things are true ... my joy is in the Lord, and my focus on Him directly relates to how well I am able to see Him working around me and even through me.

Please know that I'm still looking for answers. My words here are for me as much as they are for you. It's not about preaching!

Warren writes:

There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose. The men and women who have made the greatest difference in history were the most focused. For instance, the apostle Paul almost single-handedly spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. His secret was a focused life. He said, "I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." - Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

Are you still looking for direction? My prayer is that your focus on God is more intense than its ever been. Your growth in the Lord depends on it!

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Alex Murashko, the founder of Outreach New Media, has been helping people get their message out for more than 16 years.

Note To Self

I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. -- Philippians 3:13

Did you know that the first seven chapters of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life can be found online for free? I went to the site today in order to bolster my comments at BlogCatalog regarding "religion" and happiness. I put religion in quotes because it's often such a point of contention in regards to its definition.

My point is that salvation is not about religion. And unless you are concerned about where you will spend eternity and what kind of life you are leading here on earth, you might just care less about how much more important establishing faith in Christ is than religion. One more reason to care...you might be in just enough pain to surrender.

Back to my "note to self." So, as I was browsing those first few chapters I found Philippians 3:13 within the text. What a blessing! I'm not in the best sorts right now. I'm physically and emotionally spent. However, my joy remains in Christ and this little verse was a definite pick-me-up.

Prune and focus...my "mantra" in the coming days. I want more of Him and less of me!

Amen?

Peace Beyond Understanding

It's Monday, the work week has just started, and I'm already stressed. Thankfully, I can pause, read God's Word for a bit and move on with a sigh of relief...and yes, even peace.

I pray your day is one of peace!

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment: Volume 2:

PEACE THROUGH PRAYER

God’s peace…will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7

The worrisome heart pays a high price for doing so. Worry come from the Greek word that means “to divide the mind.” Anxiety splits us right down the middle, creating a double-minded thinker. Rather than take away tomorrow’s trouble, worry voids today’s strength. Perception is divided, wasting your energy. Who can afford to lose power?

But how can we stop doing so? Paul offers a two-pronged answer: God’s part and our part. Our part includes prayer and gratitude. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Phil. 4:6 NLT, emphasis mine).

God’s part? “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Phil. 4:7 NLT).

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If 9/11 are the numbers of terror and despair, then 3:16 are the numbers of hope. Best-selling author Max Lucado leads readers through a word-by-word study of John 3:16, the passage that he calls the "Hope Diamond" of Scripture. (Amazon.com)

Get 3:16: The Numbers of Hope now!

Before Anxiety Meds

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

This from Henry Blackaby's Day by Day:

Don’t be anxious! Paul said there is nothing that should cause a child of God to worry. He was well aware of things that cause anxiety. His nation was occupied by a foreign army and ruled by corrupt leaders. He was writing from prison, where he was being held as a result of false accusations. He was separated from those he loved; his motives had been questioned, and he had been misrepresented. Some were trying to undermine all that he had accomplished in starting churches. He suffered physically and faced imminent execution (2 Cor. 11:23–29). Yet Paul said there would never be a crisis so troubling that God could not bring peace in the midst of it!

God will not necessarily take your problems away, but He will carry the load for you. He wants you to experience His peace, which is beyond human comprehension. You will never fully understand how God could give you peace in some of the situations you face, but you do not have to understand it in order to experience it. This peace is not just for those who “handle stress well”; it is for everyone! You may know that God wants you to experience peace but wonder how this is possible, given what you are presently facing. Yet, Scripture says to be anxious for nothing. God’s word clearly indicates that there is nothing you can face that is too difficult, too troubling, or too fearful for God. No matter what your circumstances are, turn your anxiety over to God and let His perfect peace guard your heart.!

Much of the ministry of Dr. Henry T. Blackaby flourished with the publication of his book Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Seeking God in the matter which Blackaby spells out in his book has helped propel life-changing events for a countless number of people.