I am a list maker. Furthermore, I am one of those strange people who does a task not on her to-do list and then writes it on the list afterward, for the joy of crossing it off. This morning, my to-do list was overwhelmingly long. No individual task was too great. However, taken as a group, it looked so intimidating I wanted to toss it aside and escape into a novel. Instead, I compromised by choosing the first three items I wanted to accomplish today and wrote them on a notecard. My theory was, tackling three things is far less stressful than facing an entire pageful. And it worked! With only three items to focus on, I could quiet the distractions of all the other things I want to accomplish today and get started on the first one.
Imagine my surprise when the first item on my list, reading a chapter for Friday morning’s upcoming Bible study, presented this gem:
“Where you focus your eyes can make all the difference in our walk of faith.” Laurie Polich Short in 40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith.
Focus! In chapter ten of 40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith, Laurie uses the example of horses wearing blinders to keep them from being distracted by, and in some cases terrified by, circumstances around them. The blinders are a kindness, not blinding them but narrowing their focus to keep them headed on the right path. Laurie also mentions the beautiful example of Peter, who was able to walk on water only when he kept his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. (Matthew 14:29-30).
Just like narrowing my physical vision from my pageful of tasks to the top three, narrowing my spiritual vision allows me to shut out the distractions from God’s plan for me. I can quickly become frightened by the rhetoric of our society, the pain and suffering in our world, and my feelings of inadequacy. But, like Peter, I need to fix my eyes firmly on Jesus. When I focus only on what He can do through me, I can take the next steps in obedience.
Dear God, thank you for the reminder to keep our focus trained on you. Please help us not be distracted by the confusion around us, but keep following your lead. Amen.
Good entry today.
Thanks, Laura! I am loving “40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith!” Hugs to you!
Such good advice – focus on just a few projects at a time. Years ago I was complaining to a friend that I got only one thing done that day. I’ll never forget what she said to me – “Be THANKFUL for that one thing that you got done!!” I need to follow her advice more often!
I love that advice! Focus on what we have accomplished, not what is yet to be done! Thanks for sharing, Mom! Love you!