This month we are going to be looking at where our focus is. Our Bible Journaling Scripture is 1 Peter 1:13-16, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (NASB 1995) Focus requires action on our part. Peter says we are to prepare our minds.
My niece is a professional photographer, and to get the beautiful pictures she takes, she needs to focus her camera lens so that the picture is not blurry and comes out just the way she needs it to. She is preparing her camera to the right settings to get just what she wants. It is the same with us. Our focus needs to be on Jesus Christ in everything…our attitudes, actions, and what we say. Therefore, we need to prepare our minds, we need to focus our thoughts and actions in everything to be like Christ.
Sometimes, this can be hard for us. Everyday living gets in the way, or we get into the comparison game, trying to be better than someone else, or thinking that we aren’t as good at something as someone else is. Our focus is placed on comparison instead of focusing on what God wants to see in our lives and being obedient to what He wants for us. The book of Philippians gives us a good starting point of how to do this, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 ESV) Focusing begins in our minds. We need to, as Peter says, “prepare your minds for action.” Thinking about what we need to be doing, saying, and having proper attitudes, all prepare our minds for action to live a Christ-like life.
This requires obedience on our part. When God shows us what we are to do, we must be obedient to His Will. We all need to step back and take an account of our lives, where we are in our relationship with God, how well are we being a good witness of what He has done in our lives, etc. If we find it difficult to tear ourselves away from social media, television, or other distractions, we have our minds focused on something other than what God wants for us. We must be intentional about daily prayer, Bible study, and applying what we learn to our daily lives and how we relate to others. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33a NIV)
We need to remember that this is a life-long challenge for each Believer. Because we are not perfect creatures, we have flaws that need to be dealt with, and God will let us know what we need to work on. Our job is to stay focused on Him, listen for His direction, and step out in obedience to what He is telling us. We need to ask ourselves, “Where is our focus?”
donnasmusings 