Focus
Today I read Matthew 6:22-24. I was reminded of a story I once heard, you may have heard it before:
“An old man and a young boy were traveling through their village with their donkey. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked.
As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding.
The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.
Later, they passed some people who remarked, “What a shame, he makes that little boy walk.” They then decided they both would walk.
Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.
Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying, “How awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.”
The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey.
You see there were many different perceptions from the on looker’s in society. Their world view had shaped their response and influenced the boy and the old man. You could say that they looked to please people and soon found as you do in life, you cannot please all the people all the time.
Jesus mentioned that the eye is the lamp of the body. God’s Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. What we look at and the way we see life shapes who we are and how we respond in all situations. Ultimately that is what people will see.
Have you ever gone cross-eyed, either on purpose or by accident. If our eyes are properly focused on the light, then our body can function properly in its movements. But if our eyes are out of focus and seeing double, it results in unsteady movements. I have done this and walked into stuff – not good. It is difficult to make progress while trying to look in two directions at the same time.
If our goal in life, if our focus is to gain things, wealth, fame….etc, it will mean darkness within. But if our goal, our focus is to serve and glorify God, there will be light within.
Our focus in life, what we allow to shape our world view, what we fill our lives with will control us, will lead us and will ultimately shape us.
I have recently read articles and watched several programs that have mentioned how computer gaming is destroying the lives of many. The people have allowed the games to become their focus and they have started to shape their lives. Jobs lost, careers down the toilet, education deteriorating and lost degrees all down to allowing their focus to be lost.
There are many examples in life where we can allow things to take our focus. We all have a choice on what takes it. The point is we can only focus on one thing, we can only be driven by one thing. Will we allow God to take our focus, shape our worldview and in return we will live a life that shines. Or will we focus on something else and ultimately not fulfill our true purpose and destiny.
May you stop and review what your focus is, may you detox and refocus on God. May you stop people pleasing and start God living.
