What is our focus? What are we looking at? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “We look not at the seen but the unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.” It also tells us to “not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
When the problems of life seem to “encroach on our space”, it is time to redirect our focus on God, on His Kingdom, on our spiritual lives. Instead of keeping our eyes fixed on us and our problems, or the problems of our loved ones, we need to put our eyes on God. One way we can do this is by changing the words we speak. We can take our eyes off ourselves and turn them to God by reading aloud (or reciting from memory) scripture verses having to do with who God is, and what He’s done and does! I’ve tried this and it works! We can get the spiritual momentum by swinging our eyes around, off ourselves and on to God.
Wow! This answers the question I’ve had a lot of times over the course of my life. I’ll be going along good “in the Lord”, and it seems like there is a spiritual dynamic or momentum that keeps growing, and I’m hearing from God and seeing things in the spirit almost every day. Then “something” happens, and all of a sudden, that momentum is gone. And I feel like I’ve lost it, lost that connection, and it feels awful! Once you’ve tasted that kind of life in the spirit with the Lord, and you lose it, you know you’ve lost the best thing in your life. I’m not talking about losing my salvation, or even actually losing my connection with God, but rather losing that continual, daily connection of being able to see things in the Kingdom and hear words from the Holy Spirit. (If you’ve never had that kind of life, and would like to, first of all seek God, but let me know and I’ll share with you how I learned to develop that kind of walk with Jesus.) I’ve learned that if I “lose that momentum”, I can just start building that momentum again! And the sooner I start after “losing it”, the easier it is to recover some of the momentum from before..
Back to words and our focus! The Bible says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” It also says “Set your affection on things above.” These are scriptures that address what our focus is. “What are we looking at?” Like Peter when he walked on water because Jesus said, “Come.” As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked on top of the water! But then he took his eyes off Jesus, put them on the waves, and started to sink. Sometimes our problems, or the affairs of this life, busyness, all the activities or business we have to take care of, plus work, just take up so much time that our focus becomes on those things, simply to survive. As hard as it may be, we each have to find or make time to turn our eyes back on Jesus, on the eternal spiritual kingdom.
We can speak words about how God works in our lives. Even in the midst of the busyness we can say “God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed or fixed continually on Him.” Isaiah. 26:3. We can say, “God’s got my back! He always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus. God always provides for me. I am a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, therefore, all my needs are met according to His riches in glory.”
Like David, we can say “God helped me slay the lion, and the bear (previous problems in our lives), and He is well-able to slay this giant, mountainous problem in my life. He is also well able to give me wisdom to know how to handle all the affairs of my life. He will give me the wisdom, spiritual help and guidance I need to get me out of the mess I got myself into. The Holy Spirit will teach me all things and bring to remembrance all things Jesus said. He is God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,. God made man and raises man from the dead. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
These are all scriptures I’ve put into my own words, made them my own declarations to speak and declare over my life. I encourage you to do the same. Speaking God’s Word or words redirects our focus on Him and His eternal Kingdom. When the affairs of life claim all of your attention, redirect your focus by speaking God’s Word, and speaking scriptures that declare who God is, and what He has done and can do.
