Stay Focused

Recently my daughter performed in an all-area High School musical production at our local community theatre.  She had the time of her life participating in something she'd worked so hard on for so long.

As is tradition for this particular theatre, the evening before opening night, they brought in a host of invitees from the community to serve as a "guest" audience, allowing for some good interaction, preparing the students for a "live" audience the following night.  Some of those invited included local nursing homes as well as special needs centers from around the city where we live.

It's always fun to see these individuals enjoying a "big night on the town".  Their sincerity and authenticity is unique - making their perspective and their presence a vulnerable time for the cast.

My daughter recalls one time during an opening number, where there was much dialog intermixed with singing and dancing, when a couple individuals yelled pretty loudly during her monologue.  Admittedly, she remembers this making it extremely difficult for her to concentrate on her lines.  She continued in her own 15-year-old words, "It really messed me up.  It was so hard for me to focus on what I was supposed to say."  Of course the kids were able to continue, interruptions included, and went on to have a wonderful last dress rehearsal.

But that got me thinking... What is it that we are focusing on?

So often we are focused on the wrong things.
So often we allow the wrong things distract us from our calling.

As a believer, I find this a sad reality in my own life more times than I would care to admit.  I allow myself to focus on unnecessary things:

• the negative opinions of others
• the amount of money in my bank account
• the number on the scale
• the amount of likes on a Facebook post
• the people who have offended me
• the health issue that scares me

And the truth is that none of these things are bad to think about - in moderation.  But danger arises when we stay FOCUSED on the things that hold us captive and keep us from growth.

Jesus came to this world to do the will of His Father.  According to John 6:38-40,

"For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do My own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those He has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus knew His mission and during the course of His life here on earth, never strayed from that mission.  He was never distracted from His calling.

He didn't let what others said about Him distract Him.  He never let the hate and rejection keep Him from fulfilling His life's work.

He remained steadfast and focused.  And we must do the same.

We have a choice.  We can keep focused on the things that threaten to steal our joy and keep us tightly bound to fear and intimidation, or we can keep our eyes laser focused on Jesus and the road He has mapped out for us.  His ways are always wiser.  His plan is greater than our pain.

Let's make the better choice.

Stay focused my friend!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,

Worthy Of The Call

I will admit something to you right off the bat.

Brace yourself.

I don't watch the Super Bowl.

I don't watch football at all, really.

Okay, so by "really" I mean that I am one who is simply in love with the IDEA of football.  But when it comes right down to it, I get distracted from the sport and end up doing a million other things than staying focused on the game.

Take last night for instance.  I had all well good intentions on watching the Panthers and the Bronco's hash it out on the ball field with my hubby.  With snacks in hand and blankets to cozy up to, I felt a strong urge about 15 minutes in to check my phone in an effort to stay awake.

I tried.  I really did.

Even the commercials were not that entertaining.

And then... came the halftime show.

Stirring our 15-year old from her YouTube-watching coma, we tuned in altogether as a family with the millions of other American's hoping to be entertained.

As the first band took center stage I found myself having to ask my daughter for their identity.  The song I was familiar enough with - but the people, not so much.

And then came the second act - Bruno Mars, finishing up with the beloved Beyonce for a memorable grand finale.

I watched.  I reserved comments (except for the short discussion about the apparent onesie that is often the wardrobe choice of one of those three performers... no guessing here, I'm sure), and then it was back to the phone to check Facebook.

And that's when I got sad.  Really sad.  Maybe disappointed is a better word.

The comments were strolling in at record number.  With each refresh of my Facebook app, I was inundated with posts ranging from "Best Super Bowl Halftime Show Ever" to "Halftime Show Was the Worst Thing I've Ever Witnessed."  I will admit that there were FAR more negative comments in MY news feed than there were good ones.  In fact they came streaming in right up to the time I had finally given up and headed for my warm bed.

And those comments in and of themselves weren't what bothered me the most.
It was who they were coming from that made me scratch my head.

As believers we are called according to Philippians 1:27 to, "...live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News."  In fact Paul says in the very beginning of that same sentence, "Above all...".

Above all we are to live as those who belong to Christ.  Who's home awaits us in Heaven.  Who are worthy of carrying the Good News to people who don't yet know Him and believe.

My commentary for verse 27 says this, "It is an ornament to our profession when our conversation becomes the gospel of Christ."
 
And we see it all the time, don't we? A misrepresentation of the gospel of Christ. Believers who are compromising Christ's reputation by the way they behave.
 
Sadly I saw this last night reading through that Facebook feed during the game that drew American's together in record proportions...

Hating.
Complaining.
Judging.

And we are all guilty of this at times.

But as believers shouldn't we live a life that stands out from the rest of the world?  Because living a life worthy of the Gospel message is the true test of a heart that belongs to Him.

This means... living a a life that is consistent with the Word.
This means... living a life that is appealing to those who don't know Jesus for themselves.
Being a good representative of Christ.
Remembering who you are and to Whom you belong.

Because at the end of the day aren't we mis-communicating the message of God's love and misrepresenting the gospel message when we hate on other people or other things that don't fit into our ideal model of righteous living?

We are called to love and grace. Period.
We are called to be ambassadors of the greatest message ever told.

I certainly have my opinions on what I think is an appropriate halftime show for a diverse audience, but hurling insults and negatively labeling those who's life doesn't quite line up with my standards of acceptance, is blending in with rest of the world... not standing out (which we are called to do, according to Romans 12:2).

Grace loves the sinner.
Grace reminds the weak that there is another way.
Grace given ought to be grace doubled.

Let's live worthy of that call.

Finding JOY in the JOurneY...

Go Back

1 Kings 19:15 is God speaking to Elijah and He tells him this,

"Go back the same way you came."
 
Elijah was God's prophet who had found himself in compromising positions and had wandered from God's directed path. He found himself afraid and hiding from the call God had placed on His life.

Here we see God directing Elijah to retrace his steps back to the place he had strayed from God's mission... from there he could move forward. THEY could move forward together.
 
Sometimes God has to take us BACK, so that we can move forward.
Sometimes God has to send us back.

Seem friends,
We want immediate substitution (from whatever we're facing)... He wants immediate submission.
We expect automatic conversion... He wants automatic compliance.

Sometimes God says, "Let's go back here, because I'm not done doing that work in you. I can't take you THERE... until we've finished the work HERE."

Let's let Him finish the work in us. If that means remaining here, or going back... you can trust that it's going to be worth it. Because, "God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (Phil 1:6)

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