What do you love ...

It can be an interesting conversation to ask this question. the answers I am sure will be (or may be) quite varied, from I love my wife, my kids (children), my lifestyle, my home, my car, CHOCOLATE (mmmm), etc. of course if we were to look for biblical descriptors we would find that there are different terms for love (but I am not going there today). Simply I want to be thinking about the things that we might invest ourselves in to. What we give our attention to. What we focus on. have a look at the verses for today:

1 John 2:15-17 (New Living Translation)

Do Not Love This World

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

It is a bit like that Scripture that reminds us we cannot love both money and God, you will love one and hate the other. You cannot have two masters. If you give yourself over to (give your attention, focus, invest your time and resources into) the world and the things of the world, the very real outcome is that God is snubbed, put on the back burner, left out of the equation.

The world (or the things in it) have great allurement to the eye. they have a tendency to have outcomes of a pleasurable nature (albeit temporary). And we can be pretty much assured that once it gets a hold of us, it is difficult to break free from its grasp - thus the warning.

Lord, I know I can be attracted to many things within the world. There is much that captures my eye. Help me to keep my attention to the things that are of You. Help me to focus on You. help me to invest in the Kingdom that is Yours.

What has your attention ...

A few days ago I mentioned a book I was reading by Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path. In this I related the principle of the path, the road we have chosen to be on (the direction we are going), and how this determines our destination (where we end up). Within this I discovered that for all the great intentions I might have, the goals and dreams I might hold onto, these won't make any difference if I choose the wrong path.

As the book proceeds, another lesson is learnt, another element explored. Andy Stanley raises in the formula the matter of "attention". What has your attention? What has captured  your eye? What has drawn you to give it all of your focus?

This is because what lures us or grabs our attention will most often determine the path that we take. Again, whether that be concerning our finances, relationships, employment, education ... If something or someone captures our gaze, it will often take us in a direction that may have been contrary to the one we were initially intending.

The importance of being aware of this, is so we allow God to keep our gaze. We allow God to command what it is we do, where it is we go, who it is we associate with. The alternative is to be taken by whatever, whoever  and wherever that something captures our eye the most.

Thus attention -> direction -> destination.

I would encourage you, if you are looking for a good read, to pick up a copy of the book and take up the challenge of being focused for God.

Get rid of it ...

I suppose the first question you might have is - what is "it"?

Have a look at:

Hebrews 12 (New Living Translation)

God’s Discipline Proves His Love

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd

of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off

every weight that slows us down,

especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

What might be the weight that slows us down, or the sin that easily trips us up? Interestingly there are passages that spell out explicitly what is meant at times, but on this occasion it might seem it is left for us to explore and discover for ourselves (the Lord helping us of course).

I have some thoughts in regard to this, especially when relating it back to the imagery of a race (and a runner). I wouldn't dream of running with a large coat on for instance, or work boots, or carrying a ladder or something else. So aligning that to the Christian journey and thinking of it to be like a long distance event, to which I want, desire, and aim to get to the end unscathed if possible. Even in this I am mindful of the physical body, the need to be fit and in good condition. I know when I am not performing well. When the kg's are a bit more than they ought to be. When the muscles are unconditioned. How much harder it is to accomplish things. Can I get them done - yes! But it might take longer. It may require more effort. I might take much longer to recover from the task. So I find I am better off attempting to remain in a good condition physically. And yet, I must watch that even this does not get in the way, that I focus too intently on this rather than getting on with what the Lord requires of me.

This is not all. What else might be considered as entangling us? Could it even be a matter of bettering ourselves in education? Working long hours? Spending too much time with or neglecting to spend any time with family? The consideration needs to be in aligning these to what it is the Lord requires of us, and are these things getting in the way of this? Do we give them greater priority?

"Lord, it is my desire that I might function well for you. Help me in the prioritising of what is right and what is not for this purpose. Help me to be conditioned physically, mentally, socially and spiritually, so that I might operate well for You, as You desire of me."

Keeping Focused ...

I wonder, when I read of amazing young men like Solomon (1 Kings), renowned for his wisdom, and in his wisdom the way he was able to lead so well. We might recollect the building of the Lord's temple, and the royal palace for himself, the fact that the construction took some 20 years in sum total. So how can we read later of him not heading the clear instruction of the Lord. I am referring to the taking of foreign wives:

1 Kings 11:2 ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.

Do you wonder about this?

As I have thought about this today, I have been reminded how easy it is to become distracted from doing what I ought to be doing. How easy it is to be drawn into another conversation away from the purposed dialogue I set out to have with another, and before I know it, we have gone your separate ways and still haven't had the conversation I intended to have, or resolved the issue requiring attention. I recall the times I have gone looking for one thing and come back with something else that I was drawn to when I saw it.

It would be easy to condemn Solomon for his inability to stick with the implicit instruction of God and forget that I too am like him at times. I find other things aluring to the eye and before I know it this has my full attention.

Solomon and his family were to pay a heavy price for this failure.

"Lord, I desire to keep focused on that which is pure and right and in accordance with Your will for my life, please help me to remain focused!