Recap
Where do you have your focus! It matters because in order for wisdom to operate in your life, your focus has to be, first of all, on the Word of God! Focus was the topic of Pastor Mac’s fifth installment in his “Wisdom for Living” series. Where we place our focus is important because our enemy will cause us to experience all manner of negative things in order to break our focus on the Word of God. If we focus on truth, we will prevail in life.
Dive Deeper
Text: 2 Cor. 4:17–18 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
We all focus on certain things. Hopefully it’s not on the negative aspects of life. If the enemy has attacked your body, your physical challenge should not be your focus… or what the doctor’s report says should not be your focus… or what your bank balance presently should not be your focus. Because in order for wisdom to operate in your life, your focus has to be the Word of God.
The things that we go through strengthen us. They make us grow. Even Jesus experienced increase by the things He suffered.
Wisdom tells us not to fix our focus on our problems in this natural, secular world we live in… things that can be perceived by our sensory perceptions.
The word “look” doesn’t mean a casual glance. It means to give your attention to or to focus.
We are not to look at the things the enemy is doing. The enemy knows he can’t alter your destiny unless he can alter your believing. He wants you to focus on how bad it is. He wants you to focus on the natural scenarios.
He says we are not to focus on the natural temporal realm. We are to instead look at the things which are not seen… the things that are not seen is a reference to the spiritual arena. Because they’re not perceived naturally… you can’t see them naturally or perceive them naturally.
When you don’t focus on the seen realm, but rather the unseen spiritual truths of who you are in Christ and what God says in His Word about you, then that temporal realm, the realm that is subject to change, will change.
The first thing we need to understand is that our focal point needs to be determined by what’s truly important to us. You still deal with natural realities, but you don’t focus on them. You instead focus on the Word of God.
Pastor Mac talked about how a lot of people settle for good. But good is the enemy of best. All of the Word is good, but not all of it is best for you to focus on at a given point in time. All of the Word is good for you to know, but if you’re in a physical battle for your life, your focus needs to be on healing scriptures.
Many believers allow politics to become too great of a focus for their lives. Politics is an important focus for Christians who are called in that arena. You need to know about politics. We need to participate in our civil duties as both Christians and as Americans. But we should not be so focused on politics that we become obsessed with them. Keep it in balance.
Read About It
2 Cor. 4:17–18 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Discussion Questions
If you were to give yourself an honest evaluation, how would you rate yourself when it comes to focusing on positive things versus negative?
Can you think of an instance when you practiced keeping your focus on the things of God and not on a problem?
Are there things in your life that you give an inordinate amount of attention to like television… social media… movies… sports? How would you work to refocus your attention to the things of God in a more balanced way?