Change of Focus

     Our lives are full of activity whether we are working a job or fully retired.  There is never a loss for projects large and small around our homes; so one thing which I have had the privilege to learn lately is that we can change our schedule to include looking at God's amazing creation.  This did not happen by chance.  It was divine providence.
     When I go for walks in the morning, I like to use my phone app "Map My Walk".  I have it on my watch too so I synchronize them both before I leave.  In the past, this app was able to post directly to Facebook.  However, circumstances changed and the app could no longer post directly.  The creators of this app suggested that we could post a picture with our walking stats if we wanted to and explained how this would work.  Therefore, on each walk, I now look for something beautiful or an animal I can photograph that I can share on Facebook along with my stats.  It helps me to keep accountability for my daily routine.  Plus it gives others a look at some of the beauty that surrounds us here.
     One of the things I have noticed is that my focus has changed as I exercise.  I am not just going for a walk.  I am challenged to observe the things around me more intensely as I search for a beautiful picture I can take.  My exercise routine has taken on a new focus, and I should not be surprised.  After all, the Apostle Paul told us where our focus in life should be.
     In his letter to the Corinthians (2 Corthinians 5:7), the Apostle Paul writes these words:  "...for we walk by faith, not by sight."  We are to walk each day fearing God, trusting in Him and not allowing our circumstances of living to overwhelm us.  We are to see with the eye of our soul rather than our physical eye that tells us a different story.  Our focus in this life is to be on God despite the ups and downs of living in a fallen world.  When we start our day with prayer and reading God's Word, our focus has shifted.  We are seeing life through the Lord's eyes.  What a difference this can make in our day!
     Jesus told us not to worry or be anxious over anything in His "Sermon on the Mount".  Joy-less living comes from stewing over things we cannot change or control.  Unfortunately, we all have this tendency to get upset unless we have learned to see daily events through the eyes of our Savior.  This is not necessarily easy to do, but it is worth the peace that comes when we are faithful.  This is why I likened it to my walks in the morning.
     I really hated my daily exercise because it was hot, humid and generally miserable outside.  I went through the motions but never enjoyed it.  Since I began to look for something beautiful to photograph and share, my attitude has changed.  It has become a fun exploration each day and not just an exercise routine.  The same is true in our spiritual life.  Each day when we seek the Lord, we are on a mission to see others through His eyes.  Rather than the circumstances of the day causing us annoyance, we can begin the day looking for the beauty of His holiness finding new ways to glorify Him.  It will make a great difference in our day!  May we look to the Lord for joy each day; for when we do, we will not be disappointed.  Selah!
   

Don't Be Afraid to Try Again

     Our family held a birthday celebration for our oldest son this past weekend.  What a joy it was to have our family together again, and of course, there was a lot of noise with grandchildren running and playing.  Among the

activities over the weekend, many in the family enjoyed swimming.  This is a great way to cool off in the hot summer sun.  Thankfully the grandchildren are learning to swim or already have that skill and that's a good thing in a state where there is a lot of water.
     I remember only too well when we took our young family swimming in a neighbor's pond.  Our oldest son had a close call when he got too far out from the shore into deep water.  His sister saw it happen and let us know he was in trouble.  We got him to shore, and I am happy to say it never stopped him from enjoying the water in the future.  He became a good swimmer to our delight.
     When we have a close call as our oldest son did early in his life, most of us want to shy away from ever doing that activity again.  Yet, that is the worst possible thing we can do.  We cannot conquer a fear unless we face it, and having the Lord's help makes all things work together for good.  This is true whether it pertains to swimming or if we have been hurt by someone.  We can either run away and hide from the hard things in life or we can learn from our experience and continue on.

Our son Aaron enjoying his birthday dinner.

     In three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, the story is told of how Jesus faced 40 days and nights of fasting.  During this time, Satan appeared to Him to tempt Him.  First he appealed to his hunger.  Then he appealed to His emotions and questioning the love of God the Father.  Finally, Satan tempted Jesus with an offer of controlling the world if he would bow down and worship him.  Each time, however, Jesus resisted the devil and quoted correctly the Scripture which the enemy had try to twist.  Jesus did not run away from His adversary, but He resisted His attempts by speaking the truth of God's Word to him.  What a lesson for us to follow!
    James 4:7 tells us:  "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  Then, in I Peter 5:9, we are admonished:  "Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.  "If we stand firm, the devil will flee and so will that fear of failing again.  We are overcomers in Jesus Christ and we must not forget that.
     One of my favorite songs is entitled "The Voice of Truth" by the group Casting Crowns.  The chorus goes like this:
    " But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says 'Do not be afraid!'
And the voice of truth says 'This is for My glory'
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth"

It is not hard for us to know who the voice of truth is...Jesus Christ the Word of God incarnate.  Therefore, we must listen to that voice and put away our fears of failure.  If we have been hurt or had a bad experience, it does not mean that this is the end.  For the Christian, we are to pick ourselves up and listen to what God is saying to us instead.  There is a risk in everything we do my friends.  We can be hurt again but if we never take the risk and try once more, we may miss out on some rich blessings.  To God be the glory as we step out in faith each day resisting the devil at every turn and thanking God for the victories!  Selah!

Having a Critical Spirit

     Lately, the Holy Spirit has been doing some housecleaning in my heart and the process has not been easy or comfortable.  Hiding the truth from ourselves seems to be less difficult than owning up to the fact that we need to repent.  In my case, I felt as though I was under a heavy spiritual attack from the enemy.  As I ran to the Lord for comfort, little by little, He began to point out areas I needed to confess.  With each time of prayer, I felt the burden lifting.  Amazing how God works in our lives!
     One of the areas I became aware of was that of having a critical spirit.  Oh how easy it is to fall into this trap, and many times, we do not even realize it.  It is easy to sit back and criticize others, but it hurts when we are on the receiving end.  I believe the Lord has discussed this well when He told His disciples "Judge not, lest you be judged..." (Matthew 7:1-5).
     Having a critical spirit means that we tend to view others and circumstances from a negative point of view.  We find fault, criticize, gossip, slander, judge and complain.  I hate writing these words because they are ugly, but all sin is ugly in the eyes of our holy God.  A person with a critical spirit may not demonstrate all of these things, but we can be certain that behind it is the enemy of our souls.  Satan loves to make us ineffective in our witness by turning our love for God and others into a "complaint session".  Before long, our world grows dark and everything in it seems imperfect.  So how does a person develop a critical spirit?
     One of the first ways which is easy to see is that all of us have a sin nature.  If we are a Christian, we still have the old flesh to deal with on a regular basis.  Essentially, we are selfish people and unless we crucify the flesh daily and walk by the Spirit, we can return to that self-centered nature.

A monument in Zurich, Switzerland to fallen soldiers

     Along with selfishness, we often do not see ourselves as a new creation in Christ.  Our value and significance are found in Him not in anything we can do for ourselves.  When we forget to whom we belong, we become afraid.  That fear causes us to go into protective mode and we begin to criticize others.  Somehow, we think this will make us feel better, but it never does.
     Another element that tends to lead to a critical spirit is wanting to control our circumstances and the people around us.  Where did this begin?  "It all started in the Garden of Eden" as my husband likes to say.  If we can control things around us, we will feel secure or so we tell ourselves.  However, change is inevitable, and when this occurs, the person with a critical spirit panics.  Instead of trusting God, they complain about people and situations who are disrupting their world.  Unfortunately, it is catching.
     When a friend, family member, or acquaintance begins to point out all that wrong with your job, your church or other people, it is easy to join the band wagon.  Before we know it, we are not only complicit in this sin, but we are also passing it on to others around us.  We have taken our eyes off the Lord and put them instead on imperfect people or the circumstances of our life.  The Lord clearly told us in John 15: 4-5 that we are to abide in Him so that we can bear much fruit.  Apart from Christ, we cannot do anything!  Buying in to negative thinking, actions, or words can only hurt us in the long run.  As the Apostle Paul so clearly instructed us:  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
     A critical spirit only brings separation from God.  It is a sin and needs to be repented of rather than enabled.  This applies to all areas of our life.  God did not make us our brother's judge and jury.  He designed us to love Him and then to love others as we love ourselves.  We are to be givers of His grace and not critics in residence.  May we all learn to offer praise rather than condemnation, encouragement rather than criticism and love rather than disdain.  God is glorified when our focus and lives are centered on Him.  He will take care of all else for He alone is sovereign.  Selah!