Jeremiah 29:13 -- Focus on God

You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!

Jeremiah 29:13 (NCV)

There is an often used statement, which the above verse always brings to mind: "What consumes your mind controls your life."

It's a simple fact of life, the focus of our thoughts, controls our reality. 

It's even a common refrain from self-help books, and websites. A litany of commands, and iteration on the concept of focus. They lead with the simple statement of "If you want something, the desire for it should consume you."

And from a certain point of view, they are correct. You find what you search for diligently. When you throw your all into the search, every facet of your being, and thoughts and soul into the hunt, you can succeed.  When you go to bed every night, with thoughts of a goal in mind, and wake every morning with that same goal on your lips, you will find a way to make it to it.  For good or ill.

That fact, that ability of focus is what this verse is talking about. It's God, telling us that He knows that we can hunt something with that single-mindedness. That we can focus upon Him, search for Him.

And when someone seeks the Lord in that way, they always find Him.

They find the prayer hearing God. The favor-bestowing God. The God who indulges those who have a strong relationship with Him.

Our God is a merciful God, granting us Grace and mercy, both in this world and the next.

But how should we seek Him? What is the correct way?

In John 14:23 Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him"  (NASB). This is a clear condition on the part of man, in how we are to approach God. We are to do so in obedience to His word. 

Now, note that we live under grace. That is a gift from God that He bestows willingly to us.  But God craves a relationship with us. He wants us to love him, as He loves us. Where a believer has true love for Christ in their heart, they will find obedience to the laws of Christ easy. Love is this overarching concept that is to dominate our lives, and where love is, His commands follows on.

So follow His commands, love one another, and keep your focus on God.  Let that focus consume you.



Journal Prompt: What has your focus been on today? What did you go to sleep thinking about last night, and woke up considering this morning?

Ephesians 2:8 - By Grace Alone

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Ephesians 2:8 (NASB)

I often wonder how those who first read those words in Paul's letter to the Ephesians took them.  Consider, the religions of the time, even that of the Jews, were often bloody things. Sanctification often came through animal sacrifice and burnt offerings.  For the Jews of this time period, their life revolved around a list of laws, of yoke of things that must be obeyed and practiced and kept. A list of sins which could not be cleansed, but only covered slightly by the blood offering of the sacrificial lamb. The Greeks of Ephesians were not all that different, though their morality lent itself more towards lacking hubris and moderation, they still had to appease the various gods with sacrifices, both of animals and of other things such as wine or oils. 

And then Paul's letter appears, teaching the above, the big three tenets of Christian beliefs: Faith, Grace, and Salvation.  

How those sentences must have burned in their breasts. This new thing of grace. This concept that God loves us, and we don't have to follow random lists of rules to try and earn that love, that he's willing to just give it to us. That he wants to. 

I grew up in the church, and heard these concepts from a young age, I knew them. I understood them.  Even as I learned them, and knew them, I did not always hear them. These words, that were parts of the coloring pages from Sunday School, that were verses from songs during praise and worship, and ultimately spoken from the pulpit Sunday in and Sunday out, had lost their context. I knew them, I could recite, and sing of them, but I often did not grasp the immediacy of them.  

I did not think like those first believers, in awe and wonder that God Himself was gracing us with this gift of salvation. 

To be honest, sometimes I still have trouble internalizing them; I have trouble thinking that God has this gift of salvation for me.  After all, why me? What did I do to deserve this?  I've not been glorified. I stumble. I fall and I fail. 

And at those times I struggle to really remember what grace is. I try to not just know it, not just internalize and understand it, but to approach the entire concept with fire and awe and a desire. I remember that grace is that love and mercy which God gives us not because we worked for it. Not because we are nice to others. Not because we have paid for it. Not because we have begged for it. Not even because we deserve it.  God grants us His grace, simply because he wants us to have it.  

That he loves us, and cares for us, and desires to know us. 

I remember that grace can only be gained by willingly accepting, what God freely offers.

Journal Prompt: Who do you want to lift up in prayer today?  Why?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- Why Give Thanks?

Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CEV)

I heard a story once. 

Two old men were sitting on a park bench, the first looked to the second, and saw that the man was sad, almost crying.  The first man asked, "What has you so upset?"

The sad man glanced towards the first, "Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me fifty thousand dollars."

"I'm sorry for your loss. " 

"But you see, two weeks ago, my aunt died and left me a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And that was after the taxes."

"Well, it seems like you've been blessed even in the face of this tragedy."

"You don't understand," the sad man interrupted. His hands flying upwards with emotion. "Last week, my great-aunt died and left me another half-million dollars."

"Then tell me, what has you so sad?"

"This week....nothing!"

Why should we give thanks? 

The simplest answer is that God has asked us too. That we thank Him for all that we are, have, and the circumstances of our life. Giving thanks is intimately tied into giving Praise to Him.  In fact, I say that it would be nearly impossible to praise Him without thanking Him. 

Yet, for all that, showing, feeling, and expressing thankfulness is a beneficial action. It's good for us, and helps us both physically and psychologically.  

The alternative, if we are not grateful and thankful for what we have, means that we can quickly become arrogant, and self-centered. This is not just in our relationship with Christ, but in the one we have with family, friends and co-workers.  We don't see the things we have as gifts, and things that are good, but rather as something that is our due. That we are owed such things, no matter the cost to others. 

A lack of gratefulness can damage a relationship, as surely and as easily as harsh words.

But, it goes above and beyond that. As is the case with so many of these simple facts which God has asked us to do, giving thanks, being grateful, has a number of health benefits that have been studied and scientifically proven.

Being grateful can:

• Improve self-esteem and other positive emotions
• Cause feeling of jealousy, envy and even depression to fall away
• Improve sleep 
• Generate friendships 
• Reduce antagonists

All of these things, are important and healthy, but being grateful also means that we appreciate our life, and what we have.  Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. researches the science of gratitude, and writes (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good), "research on emotion shows that positive emotions wear off quickly. Our emotional systems like newness. They like novelty. They like change. We adapt to positive life circumstances so that before too long, the new car, the new spouse, the new house—they don’t feel so new and exciting anymore."

Think on that. When we get something positive in our life, something good, our bodies immediately start a countdown that means we no longer thing about those things. That we stop considering how nice it is to have a roof over our heads, or full bellies. 

But being thankful changes that. It reminds us that we have this things. That those things have value, and that prolongs the length of time we spend enjoying them, and it also means that we're less likely to take them for granted. 

So let us remember to give thanks.  Tell your husband and wife thank you the next time they do something, anything, around you. Tell your children thank you, when they behave. Tell your parents thank you, when they sit down to a meal with you. Tell your boss thank you for working with you. Tell your friends thank you for being your friend. And tell a waitress thank you when she sets your drink down. 

But above all, tell God thank you. We should do so to remind ourselves of all that God has given to us. To be grateful for all that He has done for us. And to be thankful for everything that He has in mind for our future. 

Acts 2:42 -- Isolation

They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Acts 2:42 (WEB)

I'm very much an introvert. A fact that's worsened by a dose of shyness.  I enjoy the times that I'm at the house alone, or with just my family. Likewise, I tend to be uncomfortable in crowds. Even small ones of 10 people or so.  In fact, it might be better to say that I crave the sense of solitude, and peace.   

And except for a short time in my  teenage years when I could not understand why I was so different than everyone else my age, I've accepted this. I'm comfortable in myself, and have come to grips fairly well with my various flaws, and the pursuits I'm taking in mitigating them.

But for all that I enjoy my solitude, at the same time I know that too much of it is not a good thing. If you get yourself too folded up in solitude, then that quickly shifts from something peaceful to an overwhelming sense of isolation. Something that can easily lead us to depression. 

The truth of the matter is that we're not supposed to be alone. We are made in God's image, male and female.  We crave relationships, and time with those that love us. 

In Acts 2:42, St. Luke discusses how the early church acted, expressly, he stated that the church continued in the apostle's teaching and in fellowship. That word fellowship is translated from κοινωνία koinōnia, and denotes having things in common, or participation, society, or friendship.  

But it's clear that the early church spent a lot of time together. Time spent learning, and in fellowship with one another.  Being friendly. Actions which usually ended with a meal modeled after the Last Supper (a meal followed with the Lord's Supper).  The point is that the church knew we need one another.  God even knew this at the beginning of everything, as after He had created man, he said "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him" (Genesis 2:18).

So, if you are an introvert, glory in the solitude and silences, but don't forget to gather together with friends, family and others for fellowship and socialization. Realize that being in those large groups, though uncomfortable, can ultimately help you as you create new friendships. It's okay to feel awkward and conspicuous, just don't let your initial feelings drive you from others.  It's okay to get your friends together with you, in pairs or even one at a time.  And it's okay to let your friends sometimes drag you to the large social things.

Additionally, if you're an extrovert, don't forget those of us who are introverts. Realize that we don't always thrive in large groups, but often truly enjoy time spent with others in small groups. That we may sometimes beg off the big parties or large social events. That it's okay if you don't drag us to the largest crowds, but that it's also okay if sometimes you do.  It's also okay to have a meal with just your introvert friend at times, you don't always have to invite a dozen other people. 

Know this, we're created to engage in relationships. To form friendships and bonds. With Him and with one another. 

Journal prompt: Describe specific challenges in some of your various relationships, and the last time you felt uncomfortable from being around too many people, or too few people. 

Mark 4:19 -- No Goals, Pursuit

and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19 (YLT)

I work in a very dedicated and defined Goal based industry. As a programmer, I have goals constantly. Deadlines, and product requirements. How many issuers per reporting cycle is acceptable, and even how many times clients can lose connectivity to the software as a metric.  Lines of code. Total aggregated bill hours as an average of time spent.

All of these metrics and things to aim for just clutter my life.  

And then you stroll down the self-help section, and see it cluttering the shelves there.  A quick search of the self help section on the kindle, provides the following book list:

• GO! How to Get Going and Achieve your Goals and Dreams : A book for women and girls by Marcia K. Morgan
• Goals! How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy
• Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals by Heidi Grant Halvorson Ph.D. & Carol S. Dweck
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney & Sean Covey
• The One Goal: Master The Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battles, and Achieve Exceptional Results (Free Workbook Included) by Thibault Meurisse

And it goes on and on. A crushing weight of expectations.  We teach our children, and ourselves that we all need these goals to aim for. That we should have some defined point to which we're struggling and pushing ourselves.  That everything we do, and try, should be a struggle against the odds grasping at this random point that we've defined for ourselves. 

Now don't get me wrong. Goals aren't bad in and of themselves. Having something to aim for can be helpful. It's a necessity of fact in the business world.  If I didn't have goals as a developer, how would my boss know that I'm meeting my duties to him and our clients? 

But when we look at goals as the end all and be all of our existence. When we focus on the anxieties of this age and the deceitfulness of the riches, then we're taking our focus off of what's truly important. 

Basically, the old saying "It's not the destination, it's the journey" has the truth of things. We don't need to focus our lives and selves on the goals. Doing so, takes our attention from the one true goal of a Christian life.  Rather, we should focus ourselves on our pursuits. 

And our pursuits should be focused on the Lord.  Jeremiah 29:13 reads "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 

God is clear on this. When we seek him, when we pursue him, and not the goals of this world, then He will provide.  

Journal Prompt: How can I change one of my life goals into a pursuit for God? 

John 10:10 -- Enjoy Life

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

As Christians we are called to have abundant life.  It's something that's not often not considered or even thought of. There's a popular conception of the Christian as something less, as someone who does not live life to the same extent as non-Christians, especially non-believers.

This is a lie. A half-truth, told to draw us away or keep us away from Christ.

It's an effort to keep us from looking at where true satisfaction comes from. Instead, it's an effort to draw us to look at the wrong things to build happiness and satisfaction. Work. Personal pleasure. Learning things. Or even just buying the next new toy. 

Fulfillment and an abundant life comes from God, and your relationship for him. Beauty, strength, growth, eternity; all gifts from God, granted from Him in abundance.

I'm thankful for the abundance of life He has given to me. My wife and children; their health and general happiness. The joy I find in my family, friends and even my work.


Journal prompt: What is the abundance of life for you?