Where’s Your Focus?
One of my favorite hymns is “Be Thou My Vision.” Perhaps because it’s often my prayer. I tend to look at people, and when I grow discouraged by comparison, I have to ask the Holy Spirit to refocus my vision on Jesus Christ.
What or who are you focusing on today? At others and their successes? At yourself and your failures?
In Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP) we read, “strip off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith.
It goes on to say, Consider and meditate on Him … so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (vs.3). Have you grown weary? Are you losing heart? Then turn your focus on Jesus.
At a writers’ conference a couple years ago, I was in my hotel room feeling a bit past prime. So many writers there were much younger, and I felt no agent or publisher would invest in a high-milage vehicle when a newer model promised a more profitable ride. Also, I felt my vocal tremor would put them off. After all, publishers expect their authors to do podcasts and speaking engagements.
I was looking at my negatives, my weaknesses, my handicaps and not at the One who calls and equips. I was looking at people instead of meditating on Jesus. A pastor once said, “Looking at people will ruin your life.” I think we all understand his meaning.
In my room that evening, I opened my Bible and read, Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity (I Timothy 4:12). To me it said, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your age.”
Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your handicap, or because of your weak platform, or because you use too many cliches in your writing.
We cannot stop someone from dismissing us or discounting us, or even rejecting our work, but Paul was telling Timothy don’t let anyone’s perception or opinion stop you from doing what God has called you to do.
And we, ourselves, should never allow what we perceive to be a hindrance to our ministry lead to discouragement and result in disobedience.
Leona Choy, co-founder of Ambassadors for Christ, recently went to her heavenly home at the age of 97. She wrote her autobiography when she was nearly 80. She thought it might be her last book, but she went on to write a dozen more before she reached the age of 93.
She proves, as many others have, that age is no hindrance to obedience. Age in fact provides a well of rich experience and hard-earned wisdom from which we can draw.
Mrs. Choy wrote, “As long as I remain surrendered to his Lordship and obedient to doors he opens and content with those he closes, I make myself restfully available for Christ and His Kingdom.”
We don’t know how God will use us, but we must remain restfully available for His purposes.
With all the training we receive as writers or ministry leaders, let’s not neglect training our eyes to look only to Jesus Christ. Not on ourselves, not on others, but on the One who has called us to serve for His glory alone.