Being Focused in Life

When are you happier? Is it when you are being focused in life, or when your thoughts skip around from thought to thought without landing on a specific one for any length of time?

It seems like a silly question, doesn't it? Of course I am happier when I can really concentrate on what is important in my life. And not only when I just think hard about important things...but also when I can center my attention and efforts on something of value in the moment.

For instance, when the very mundane chore of washing the clothes needs to be done, but I'd rather be raking or planting or doing some task that involves the sun and fresh air... something semi-new and interesting... a task which will teach me something as I do it... it becomes extremely hard for me to stay focused on dirty socks and underwear.

I'm not happy - not really - when I want to do, or to focus on, one thing and other thoughts or matters intrude. That intrusion messes with my thinking and activity, and all of a sudden my commendable focus flies out the window.

Being focused in life is a skill, not a talent

Of course, it's not always the case, that an intruding something-or-other ruins my being focused in life. But sometimes it is the case - if the intruder is distracting enough... and I don't like it!

Being focused in life - consistently - can be hard! Can we do it? If we identify the things that we hold most dear and understand what distracts us from those, we have a chance.

Actually, we'd be better off identifying what it is that allows us to become distracted in the first place, and that's a learned thing. 

Is it really the intruding distraction itself, or is it the permission we give ourselves to be distracted which is the problem?

Whether something from outside of us (a beautiful person walking by, a call from your long-time coworker, the dude that just pulled in front of your son as he was driving on the highway for the first time ever, your favorite song playing at the restaurant, the ding of a new text...)

Or from within (you're really feeling how that burger was not very filling at lunch, you'd LOVE to close your eyes for about 45 minutes, you keep guessing why the doctor says he wants to talk with you about the test results, your little toe stings, you keep wondering what West Texas is like in Spring...), there just always seems to be something ready to draw our attention away from where it needs to be. 

Being focused on life (eternal)

Yes, we can get distracted by a lot of things, can't we! Sometimes those distractions are of little significance to the outcome of our lives. (Like, say... letting your coffee get cold because you get involved in dead-heading your potted flowers.) But some of those distractions are actually hazardous to our health - our spiritual health. 

Anything with the power to draw us away from God is a danger to our well being, for - as the apostle Paul emphasized - "for in Him we live and move and exist."

Christ Jesus is the vine and we (who are His through faith) are the branches. He is the good shepherd and we are the sheep. He is the light and we are the reflectors. We just can't live without God (even those of us who have not agreed to His terms). Our Creator is the SOURCE of all life.

So, let's think about this.... We cannot afford to get distracted from our Creator, can we! Distraction in this context - that is, distraction from God - is literally life-threatening.

Does anyone in particular come to mind, who ended up losing something spiritually because of her becoming distracted?

Someone drawn away from God by how delicious the new object of her attention looked... how pleasing its beauty... how satisfying it would be to consume... how desirable it was for gaining wisdom?

Ah! So THAT explains a lot - about why choosing that fruit was so bad. It took Eve's attention away from her life source. Being focused in life (judiciously) is being focused on life (and our very source of life)!

Ever been there? In a well-planned garden, where everything was in order and you had lots of good options? But you just couldn't stay focused on your goal?

Maybe there were too many options available, making it hard to choose from - or maybe you were afraid the one you would choose wasn't the most optimal. Maybe your goal just wasn't important enough to you.... 

Just a side note: Eve never was limited to just ONE choice, either. In fact, she could have enjoyed a uniquely different edible {or combination of such} every time she was hungry if she so desired. So, what'd she do? Select the most optimal? I don't think so.... It seems her decision-making wasn't much better than mine is at times. How about yours?

It seems like whenever I stop too long to weigh my options, I somehow get distracted from my main objective - my most wanted result. Then, even when I talk myself into believing I've considered all things well, you can probably guess how my fence-sitting affects the outcome!

How to act decisively and get unwanted results:

• Hesitate...
• Listen, if even briefly, to that dissuasive voice
• Imagine the alternatives to what you know works
• Render a feeble attempt at discernment
• Just go with the present flow

There's a way to stay focused in life!

Of course, as a believer who places my trust in God, I look to the Scriptures for help. I must say, they have never failed me. But I also must admit, I fail myself at times, and the reason tends to align with my obedience to God's Word. 

In other words (and this comes from 40+ years of trial and error), when I do what (through personal study) I have learned I should... even without being exhaustive in my option-weighing... things turn out for the best. Usually in better ways than any I can project!

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

For those of us who want to have true insight, there's this:

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

And this...

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The prescription works for everyone, because God doesn't play favorites. He set up the requisite (asking Him in faith for wisdom) long ago,  hasn't and won't change it, and wants us to trust Him.

Seems like a great way to be focused in life to me!

Privacy Policy

Copyright 2021 © All Rights Reserved.