It is generally agreed – whether in secular life, in spiritual matters or otherwise – that without focus, we stand no chance at all in attaining the lofty heights we so often dream of. The importance of being laser-focused on our goals, targets and sources of inspiration cannot be overemphasized.
There are several ways and for several reasons we ought to stay focused as we pass through the journey called life. However, when we speak of being spiritually focused the godly way, we imply a system where one has totally surrendered his/her mind to the Lord Jesus Christ and that he/she has fully committed to his ways. It is actually the will of God for us to stay focused 100% on Him. Total focus on God helps us to maintain our faith and right standing with Jesus Christ especially when challenges come. It was Job’s total focus on God that kept him on track all through his trial period – Study the book of Job.
The Bible account in the book of Matthew 14:27-31, indicates to us that while Peter was focused on Jesus Christ, he was able to walk on the sea without sinking but the moment he shifted his attention to the circumstances around him, he began to sink. Staying focus on God in today’s ever changing world is the only way to fulfill our God-ordained destinies – more so in this 21st century world full of distractions. Often times we hear people say they miss the good old days when life seemed slower-paced, simpler and with less distractions. Maintaining a laser focus on God is the only escape route from this polarized world where there are so many things demanding our attention at the same time. The youths are going astray because of an acute loss of focus on God. We now live in a world where many Christians struggle to practice Christianity in the proper sense of the word.
No other personality is responsible for this sharp decline in godly spiritual focus than the subtle and manipulative Satan. The bible clearly gives us an insight into his mission statement here on earth in the book of John 10:10. One of the major things he has come to steal is our “focus on God” with the ultimate aim of destroying our relationship with him. Let us examine a typical example. The bible, being a very important weapon in our spiritual arsenal used to be readily available in hardcopy with which Christians would study God’s Word without distractions. Today, with technological advancements, many Christians no longer have the hardcopy of the bible; rather there is a growing deception that having a soft copy of it installed on our mobile devices is even better than having the physical book – nothing could be farther from the truth. Without trying to downplay the awesomeness of technology, it is however expedient to note that in this case, the physical bible – for all it represents – cannot be substituted with a softcopy, no matter how well done it is. Experience has shown that as soon as the app is launched, Ads and other notifications start popping up; the end result? The user most likely doesn’t get to spend the quality time initially intended in studying the word of God. The examples go on and on; this is just one of several examples of how the schemer succeeds in scamming unsuspecting Christians by throwing up distractions when they intend to read the bible on their devices especially as he knows how important it is for God’s children to daily draw closer to Him via His Word. On the other hand, the example above is not intended in any way to erode the awesomeness of technological advancement. It is rather more of an eye-opener to the whims and caprices of the devil and a fore warning to God’s children to help them avoid his subtle traps.
Being spiritually focused is very essential to our success in our journey on earth as Christians because the spiritual realm controls this physical world and being truly spirit-filled set us on course to receiving from God, His ordained blessings for His children.
HOW THEN DO WE LIVE A SPIRITUALLY FOCUSED LIFE?
Build a relationship with God:
Have a constant communication with God; let God recognize you as a son or daughter every time you go to Him. This can be achieved by a consistent and fervent prayer life. Identify areas you need to improve your relationship with God; it could be in the area of service to God like evangelism and interceding, fasting, giving to God’s kingdom, his servants and the needy or studying His word. God expects every believer to grow in relationship with Him as indicated in Revelation 4:1. The door of growing in relationship with God is perpetually open to every believer and it is something we must consciously do.
Seek guidance:
As a Christian who wants to live a life of focus, you must ensure you identify with a spiritual father or mentor who is filled with the spirit of God and sound knowledge of God’s word to consistently guide you on your Christian journey.
Elijah was a guide and mentor to Elisha much in the same way Moses was to Aaron and Joshua. Samuel mentored Saul and David while Paul led Timothy. Jesus Christ was a guide to all the Apostles and many more. However, despite having the human guidance, you must allow God to guide you through the Holy Spirit who is the only one that can never go wrong. Please carefully study the following portions of scripture: John 16:13, Psalm 32:8, Jeremiah 3:15.
Live a faithful life:
To be more spiritually focused, you MUST be faithful to God. You should not only read the Bible but practice the words contained therein. You must trust in God at all times and in all circumstances. Total trust in God is what spurs Him into action in bringing us out of unpleasant situations and challenges just like He did in the case of Job. Since we are the children of the ever faithful God, we must live a faithful life to maintain our focus on Him. Please read: 1Corinthians 4:2, 10:13 and Deuteronomy 7:9. Start everyday with God. To stay focused as believers, we must consciously include godly activities in our daily lives. You probably know or have heard that when a matter is repeated two or more times in the Bible, then it is safe to say that the matter is established. However, an instruction which is repeated ten (10) times is not to be taken with a pinch of salt. That is the number of time Jesus used the words “abide and remain” in John 15:1-11. He said in John 15:4 “abide in me”. He repeated that in two other ways in John 15:5-7 while also issuing a stark warning as well as a glorious promise in one breathe. “Whoever abides in me and I in him” he says, “he it is that bears much fruits, for apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, and thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”.
It is has become very commonplace for most people to bolt right out of bed early in the morning, rush through their usual morning rituals and head straight to their daily hustles without even as much as a second’s thought about the omnipresent GOD; this is especially so for folks who live in urban centers. The first thought and/or remembrance of their maker would usually be much later in the day, peradventure, even triggered by an external occurrence. This is totally against the tenets by which GOD wants to relate with us as his children. Remember he is a jealous GOD and doesn’t want to be allocated the second place in our lives. If we can be disciplined enough to spend the first few minutes of the day in reading the word of God and talking to Him in prayers, we will soon realize that having a superbly productive day as well as winning all battles of life are as cheap as A, B, C. Studying the scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit helps us see the world from God’s perspective. Joshua 1:8, Jeremiah 16:15.
Pray and Fast regularly:
One of the major spiritual exercises that help believers to stay focused on God is prayer, especially when it is spiced up with fasting. Prayer – with fasting – is one of the major instruments that draw us closer to God. It also helps to unleash God’s promises in our lives. It helps to fight distraction and a host of other things that threaten our Christianity. Through forty days fasting and prayer Moses experienced God’s unusual power and manifestation and through him “the ten commandments” was given (Exodus 34:28).
Jesus also fasted for forty days. Thus he gained destiny-fulfilling empowerment to become the ultimate price for the forgiveness of our sins and thereby, reconciling the world back to God. 1Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:20.
Fasting and prayer was what enabled Jesus to focus on his assignment despite all that he faced on earth. Fasting and prayer increases your capacity as a believer; it empowers you to do what you are not able to do in your natural state. The moment you genuinely embark on fasting and prayer, you become spiritually tuned to frequencies beyond the natural realm – in this realm, you can’t be limited. The Apostles had just one task, the propagation of the gospel of the good news and they were initially limited in executing this assignment. They were even beaten and molested by the custodians of the system of this world. Peter who was destined to take over the leadership of the church denied Jesus Christ because he had not been empowered enough. All of that changed when they entered the upper room to ask for power (Acts 2:1-4). After the glorious encounter with the Holy Spirit in the upper room, they remained focused on GOD and were able to fulfill destiny. The testimonies of their exploits are undeniable even today (Acts 4:16).
