Focus

  When my youngest child was about two years old, she had a cute habit to get our attention.  She is the youngest of four kids, all within seven years of each other.  There was a lot of chaos in our home, as they were all with me all day, every day, so she didn’t get a lot of one on one attention at this point of her life.  When she wanted my attention, she would get me to pick her up and, while my head was on the swivel dealing with everyone else, she would take her little hands and put them on my cheeks to turn my face to her.  She would then look at me, eye to eye, and say something to the effect of, “Listen to me, Mommy.”  It was really cute and definitely got my attention. 

Now my kids are older, teens and adults, and I am still feeling like a cat running to the latest shiny object.  Now though, it feels more like God is the One taking my face in His hands and saying, “Listen to me, little one.”  There are so many distractions in life.  So many things that are crying out for attention.  Even good things, ministry things, evangelism and discipleship things, kingdom work that needs to be done, all crying out for my attention.  But God wants me to put my attention on Him.  Hebrews 12:1-2 warns us to fix our eyes on Jesus and not be distracted by our sinful desires.  We have to lay aside the weight of this world and the sin that calls to us so that we can remain focused on Jesus.  Like the psalmist, we are to look to God as servants, waiting for grace, but also for instructions (Psalm 123).  The best place we can be is at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).  If we sit at the feet of Jesus and are obedient to God in all things, everything else will take care of itself.