Sunday Sermons
The Right Focus
The Right Focus
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
In the Garden of Eden Satan was able to distract Eve, by shifting her focus from all the wonderful blessings that surrounded her and the simplicity of keeping away from just one thing, she started to focus on the one thing that was off limits: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because she listened to Satan's enticing words, life suddenly became unnecessarily complicated. Instead of the simplicity of “My trustworthy God loves me, and always wants what is best for me, and proves His loving care every day”, now there were all sorts of questions. “Can I trust God even now?” “Is He secretly holding out on us?”
Simplicity
This term can be defined as: “Single-hearted loyalty” (Vincent, p. 346). “The mind and all its thoughts are set solely upon Him in love, loyalty, devotion, and there is no duplicity which secretly turns to another” (Lenski, p. 1240). Simplicity is “Wholeheartedness, singleness of devotion, freedom from duplicity” (Hughes, p. 376). This verse reminds us that life need not be complicated. In fact, long ago Solomon reduced life to respecting God and obeying Him (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Jesus did this as well, giving such clear and simple teachings as the truth that those who love Him will obey Him (John 14:15). Other writers express the same simplicity: “Be a doer of the word” (James 1:22). “The one who practices righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7). What could be more straightforward?
The Right Focus
Many people since Eve have followed in her short-sighted footsteps, instead of focusing on God’s blessings and the freedom that arises when we live by His instruction, we end up focusing on what we don’t have and all the “what if’s”. The Bible reminds us that our focus needs to be on God:
- “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is” (Colossians 3:1).
- “Set your mind on things above” (Colossians 3:2).
- “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33).
- “Reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
Focus and Change
- “Forgetting what lies behind” (Philippians 3:13).
It is easy and tempting to focus our thoughts and attention on the past, but someone has noted that this is like trying to drive straight ahead while looking in the rearview mirror — drive your life this way and you will surely crash! It is certainly beneficial to remember our past blessings and the life from which Jesus has delivered us, but often our focus on the past is not about such things. Rather we might, for example, focus on past failures, using that setback as an excuse not to try today. Others may be tempted to focus on all the times that people in the past failed us in some real or imagined way, and thus become bitter and resentful. Still others may become very nostalgic, pining for pleasant yesterdays, and thus become depressed — while forgetting all the difficulties in the past and remembering only the blessings in the present (Numbers 11:5; “Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’”).
Searching the Past
When it comes to change or overcoming a problem often the culture encourages us to go back and search into the past for some event or trigger that led to our current problem. Yet what this search is often all about is looking for someone or some event to blame for their own currently choosing destructive behavior. One may spend precious hours, days, or even years searching the past for the reason why he or she may struggle with anger, lust, jealousy, hatred, or other relationship destroying vices, rather than choosing to repent of such mindsets and enjoying the renewing of one's mind by "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." It is hard to accept the fact that whatever problems or addictions we have — were not only chosen, but seeing the addiction has become a habit, they must have been repeatedly chosen. If someone offered us a taste of some vice years ago — we could have always said no — or chosen to abandon it once we tried it. Seeing that the devil will forever lay snares and traps for us (2 Timothy 2:26), and will employ people skilled at causing others to stumble (Matthew 18), may we resolve once and forever to be aware as we walk life's path, not walk into such snares or remain in them.
Focus and Change
Paul noted that the way he and other early Christians changed was by focusing on Jesus, “But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Failure to Change
What can prevent our success in changing our lives for the better? Focusing on the wrong object, for starters. In many cases, when people seek to change they focus on the problem, instead of the solution. For example:
- Research indicates that many diets do not work because the focus is now completely on food. In fact, one probably thinks about food far more when on a diet, then at other times. Thus, the focus should be on such positive things as exercise, staying busy/productive, eating wise portions of healthy foods, and really making the most nutritionally of allowed calories.
- Programs where the person focuses on their problem is often destined to fail as well. Reading a book or listening to people talk about how hard it is to quit drinking, and "how much they really want a drink right now" is not a good thing to hear or focus upon if one is wanting trying to break from an alcohol addiction. A better approach is to spend one's time around good influences, that is, people who have successfully battled similar challenges, and are willing to share the tools they used in doing so.
- I am impressed that the Bible, after instructing us what behaviors to discontinue, immediately gives us constructive things to do instead — things that are positive and constructive, and will add to our immeasurable benefits to our life (2 Timothy 2:22; Ephesians 4:25).
- Another danger in focusing on my problem instead of on Jesus and the solutions He offers, is that one may start defining oneself inherently with this problem. Instead of believing with regard to our past sin that you or I can be in the “such were some of you” category (1 Corinthians 6:11), we can say defeatist things such as, “I guess I will just always struggle with...”, or “I am just an angry person and will always be one”, when all the while, Christ waits to grant us all we need to overcome. If I focus on Jesus and becoming more like Him (1 Corinthians 11:1), I will naturally improve where I need to.
The Importance of Reward
Studies have shown that people who stick with things, even those who stick with bad habits, do so because there is some pleasure associated with the behavior. Rewarding ourselves for good behavior is not wrong, but rather can work toward our success. God is definitely into rewards (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 21:4; Hebrews 11:6). Before moving on and talking to the next congregation in the Book of Revelation, Jesus ended each one of His admonitions to the Seven Churches of Asia with a reward for obedience (Revelation 2:7,11,17, 27-29; 3:5; 12; 21).
- If I am trying to quit something, like drinking or smoking, I would take the money, for example, that I would have spent on those substances and reward myself with buying something that I really need. To this day I look at my truck and consider how much I did not spend on alcohol since I gave my life to Christ, I think, “Mark, that is your reward for not drinking for 35 years”.
- Rewards also help our children as well. We have not always been able to afford it, but going out to eat after Sunday morning or evening services is a nice reward for the entire family for putting God first. Perhaps you can think of a family tradition unique to your family that makes Sunday even more special.
- Treating your spouse to a nice vacation on an anniversary is a nice reward for working on your marriage and staying faithful to each other.
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
