2016 Focused

Philippians 3:13-14  ^“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Just like the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul knew his goal and he pressed towards the mark. So too, we need to focus our attention. We are coming to an end of another calendar year, where we measure many of our successes by the accomplishment of the goals that we set for the past 12 months. I know that our church’s elder board will be reviewing the goals established previously and proposing new church goals for this coming year. This is true in just about every individual household also. The truth is that this is what is often lacking in our lives, but is always present in the lives of those who are successful. The old saying goes that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We begin a good thing but get distracted, so we go off into something else. Christian theologian Blaise Pascal stated: ‘Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for miseries and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.’

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As Christians, we know that our goals are founded upon glorifying God and advancing His kingdom. If we are ever distracted, we need to be able to return to the main focus of our goals. Everything in life is to be brought into that focus. I read that self-discipline has at least three factors that are essential to anyone who is going to be successful in life. First, is the selection of definite and clear-cut goals, both long and short term, that lead to a desired objective in life. Secondly, we need to stay focused. We need a burning desire to reach our goal. And, thirdly, we need a workable plan. We can never reach a goal that has never been clearly defined. We are not distracted by past failures or the past in general; we learn from them and reach forward towards the goals ahead. There is plenty of adventures along the way, but press on with “one thing” in Christ, focused on the goal.

In Christ, Brian