Focus – Christian Life in a Nutshell

Are you Discouraged? Depressed? Fearful? Anxious? Worried? Overwhelmed? Confused? Filled with negative thoughts?

Where is your focus? What dominates your thinking?

Remember Peter walking on the water toward Jesus after he’d asked Jesus to prove it was He by inviting him to do so? Matthew 14:28-31 Peter got distracted by the wind and waves all around him, took his eyes off Jesus, and immediately began to sink. There are many other examples in scripture of what happens when their focus was diverted from God and onto circumstances, self, other people, their own thoughts and feelings.

NUTSHELL: Key verse is Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

How to do this becomes the big question and challenge.

Some helpful verses:

Philippians 2:13 …for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  (a helpful definition of grace)

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 

An outstanding resource to dwell on:  Changing Your Thought Patterns by George Sanchez.