Jesus Focused

 "I'm over here! Look at me! You want me! You need me! You have to have me!..." 

 One doesn't have to listen long before one hears the cares of this world shouting for attention, particularly your attention. In the midst of all the daily stress and worries, God, most often, gets pushed to the back burner. I mean, think about it. The One whose thoughts are consumed with you 24/7, doesn't even get the first thought of your day as you sleepily reach over for your cellular device.

 Just picture Jesus sitting at the side of your bed, eagerly waiting for you to awaken from the sweetness of slumber. His heart is bursting with tender love as He observes the peaceful expression of rest on your face. He can hardly wait to talk with you, to hear your voice. Awakened by your alarm, you quickly hit the off button. A loving greeting is on the tip of His tongue but before He can even say a word, you are already scrolling down your Facebook as if life changing events occurred in the eight hours that you and everyone else were asleep. Or worse yet, He says to you "Good morning, My love" while you roll over saying "Not now Jesus... sleep, at this moment, is more satisfying to me than you." 

Ouch. 

 So often we sing about Jesus being our Satisfier, yet when the daily test comes around, we seem to cling to the poorest substitutes in an attempt to sustain ourselves. Those temporary things/distractions are burdens when they take your attention off of Jesus. If only we would keep our eyes on Jesus and truly allow Him to be our everything, then we will be satisfied in every way and find every part of our lives falling right into place.

One of my all-time favorite hymns beautifully illustrates this point...

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace."

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:1, 2 NLT)

 To quote Pastor Rachel Burchfield: "In the light of eternity, what does it matter?" The only things that will hold weight in eternity are those that are focused on Jesus. Time spent with Him, sharing His love with those around you, reading your Bible, praying, etc... only these things will last forever.

 

 A life of focus is far more satisfying and productive, than a life of continual distraction. Jesus at the center keeps you stabilized in a shaky world. He wants to be your priority not just your crisis relief. 

 If you listen closely, you will hear the Father beckoning you to His heart. Won't you heed His call to draw near to Him? I promise you, you'll never regret it. His arms are always ready and eager to embrace you. 

As for me, I make the decision to stay "Jesus Focused".

"If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says The Lord..." (Jeremiah 29:13, 14 NLT)

 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.' God’s Decree. I’ll turn things around for you..." (Jeremiah 29:13, 14 MSG)