Is anyone else out there struggling with focus? Focusing on Jesus, focusing on His message, focusing on His Word, focusing on His promises, focusing on His plan, focusing on the positive, focusing on His guidance, focusing on His direction, focusing on His still small voice? Well, I am, big time! The world we’re living in right now really is not ideal for an ADHDer like myself. There are just way too many things going on – COVID, confirmation, election, work, life in general. Can anyone else relate?
I tell you what, I’ve been a bear (my family and friends can attest to that). I feel like my world, which is probably the same as your world is spinning so fast that my mind is boggled, and I struggle to focus. There are so many things going on, all at the same time, that with the speed of my thoughts I’m getting whipped into a good ole focusless frenzy. Picture me (or yourself if you’ve got the same thing happening) standing there with a duh look on my (your) face and the words of my (your) thoughts just swirling around above my head (or your head) so fast they are just a blur. If I’ve looked at you lately and my eyes didn’t look like there was anyone home, there probably wasn’t. I’m having trouble focusing. You too? So, as believers, what do we do? We Fight for Focus – F3. How do we do that?
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2
Just like Jesus… Jesus fixed his eyes on God, His Father, on whom He depended from beginning to end. What a prime example He gave us. If anyone had a right to be distracted, it would have been Jesus. Distracted by unbelievers, distracted because of fish, distracted because of waves, distracted because of Pilate, distracted because He was being betrayed, distracted because all of His followers left Him, distracted because He was tortured, distracted because He was crucified. But, here’s the thing – Jesus never lost focus. He didn’t say “I just can’t think about that right now.” or “There’s too many things going on to be crucified.” He didn’t give up because of what was going to happen. He persevered because of what was going to happen to Him and what was going to happen for all of us. How did He do that? Well, honestly, He was Jesus. But, He stayed connected to God. He was obedient to God. He did what God told Him to do. Throughout His entire life He called on the name of His Father. That’s our answer.
You see, if He knows the number of hairs on our head (or not), don’t you think He knows the number of thoughts swirling in our minds? He understands. Remember, Jesus walked this earth, and though He did not sin, He was human. He knows what we’re going through. So, how do we Fight for Focus?
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears. 2 Samuel 22:7
He says it quite simply. Call on Him. When we call on Jesus focus is possible. When we are mired in the relentless thoughts swirling through our minds, we call on the name of the Lord.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. 2 Samuel 22:17
And He answers. Always. He will reach down from on high and take a hold of us and pull us out of the deep waters of our mind chaos. He brings peace, discernment, and organization to our thoughts. If we have to call on the name of Jesus a million times a day to maintain focus, that’s what we do. When we can’t quite formulate our call to Him, when we just don’t have words, simply say His name – Jesus. I can’t help but think He smiles every time He hears one of His children call His name. Every time we call on His name we can smile too – we know whence our help comes from to focus. It comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth.