Sustained Focus

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

We can lose focus so easily, can't we? 

Scientists tell us that the average two-year-old child has a sustained focus to freely choose a particular task for about five minutes, with older children and adults averaging only twenty minutes at maximum.  Wow!

So, how do we keep a sustained focus on the things of Jesus throughout a lifetime?

Distractions are everywhere.  It is a daily moment-by-moment choice to look to Jesus throughout our day and not be lead astray and away from the things of God.  Putting forth the effort to abound in God's work is never in vain.

What is that work?

It is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, making disciples, teaching others what it means to follow Jesus through the love, grace, and truth of the gospel message and its transforming power using whatever gifts He has given us.

It is difficult to do this if we are still embracing sins accepted by the culture and haven't allowed His truth to transform the way we live.  Life with Jesus is victorious!  It's not victorious the way the world and the culture see victory--in personal accomplishments, power, money, and fame--though you may experience these things.  The world is a fair-weather friend and a fickle fan.  The victory we have with Jesus when our focus is sustained is found in other things, like peace in knowing we're forgiven and free, that He will never stop loving us, and that we're making choices for good that will long outlive us, having eternal impact.

The Holy Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-10:

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall."

Jesus tells us so succinctly in Luke 9:23, "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"

A sustained focus is a daily exercise of our will to choose the things of God that we know are right. We are enabled to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit when we decide to make Him the boss.  Practically, that means spending time in Scripture every day, and praying/listening to God throughout our day.

There's no way around the effort, but the reward for keeping our focus on Jesus is out of this world.

Goodnight, Runners.