focus error

I was walking on the beach this morning...thinking that my calves were hurting from the exercise...while that is not comfortable, I do love that. It proves progress and proves that strength, change and work is happening from the inside out. I bent over to write in the sand, when lens popped out of my sunglasses. I have these sunglasses with interchangeable lenses. It is a pretty cool thing most days, but today…it was bad news. About the time the lens hit the sand, a wave came in and grabbed the lens and washed it out with the wave. So I stooped over to grab it quickly and when I did, my camera strap slipped off my shoulder and my camera fell into the wave that had just crashed at my feet. I jerked up the camera, which had been submerged only a few seconds and it was dripping with sand and salt water. Meanwhile, I am still looking for my lens. I spotted it in the wave and grabbed it up as well.
Oh, and did I mention I had my phone in my other hand the whole time all of this was happening. I messed up my sunglasses and my camera, but my linkage via my phone was still in tact. The only thing I didn’t mess up was that.
A little irritated with myself for being so irresponsible, I found a set of chairs (which were not mine…you know those rental ones) and decided to sit my tail down under the umbrella and focus. Multitasking this morning was costing me big time. Sitting in that chair, I laid my camera down, fixed my lens and just leaned back to pray. After saying amen, I flipped the camera on to see if it worked…and it came on, but there was a message on the screen. It read…Focus Error. No duh…If that wasn’t a word picture for me. I should not have been multitasking, but should have been focusing on the one. Instead, I was letting my heart wander around and it cost me.
God’s heart is that we focus not wander. All of us have hearts that are prone to wander, because we have a focus error. We are not focused on the one, but on the details of life. And when that happens, it costs us. Without focus, we will wander like we lost, entertained by every whim and fancy instead of leaning into the moment and hearing with clarity the voice that stirs us to walk together.
The problem is not that we can’t focus….it is that we don’t…
Why? Why do we have a focus problem?
One of our greatest problems is that we try to focus on too many things.
You sit down to pray and the next thing you know you mind has wandered off to thinking about the surgery your friend is having. And with questions about what happens, you decided to google the surgery and get some info. While looking at the info, a pop up comes on your computer and it reminds you that you haven’t checked your email yet today. So you, check your mail, knowing you ought to be praying, but deciding that the people’s names in your in box will now become your prayer list of those you will pray for. Skimming the list, you skip a few, and then respond to those who are important. You get an email that encourages your heart and so you decide you want to be an encourager too, so you decide to go out facebook and post so that everyone can hear what you have heard. After all, that is the point of facebook, right? While posting, you see a video posted by a friend that says you must watch, so you click on it and it makes you laugh and so you decide that you need to tweet all your friends to tell them to check out the link so that they can have a joyful heart also. About that time, a text message hits your phone and your kids forgot their lunch and your husband wants you to leave whatever you are doing to run it up to them so they don’t starve. Feeding the hungry is a big part of serving God you know. So you leave your prayer time…and wonder why you never feel like you truly talked to God and wondered if He talked back.
There are so many distractions…and we have a hard time shutting all that down long enough to focus on the ONE THING that is important.
It is like we live in a world where we think there is automatic focus like our cameras....but instead...it isn't automatic. Just like there is intentional engagement, there is an intentional focus on the one. But sometimes we live life with the main thing...all blurry, while focused on the objects in the background. who wants to live life pictured like that.
Focus is NOT automatic. And depending on the distance, the more intention it takes to bring into focus…to be able to see.
Ps 16:8-11
8 I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.
11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.
David shared with us words that remind us WHY we should focus.
These words were David’s, but they were also a foreshadowing of Christ’s…before He endured the Cross. In John 10:18 and John 14:31, Jesus demonstrated that HE SET HIS EYES on what the Father said. He focused….He set the Lord continually before Him despite the struggles of life. In view of death, He looked up and focused.
He is at my right Hand-his hand is mighty to save. His arm is not too short…will not be shaken by distraction.
Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.
Heb 12:2 for the joy SET before, he endured the cross.
His heart was glad, his glory rejoices and his flesh was secure….Knowing he would not be abandoned. HE TRUSTED….
And then knew the result….will make known the path…
There is fullness of joy in His Presence
In His hand, pleasures forever
Jesus endured the biggest distraction….was it a struggle…certainly…
How was He able to do this?
He didn’t live life on automatic….He worked on the intentional focus on the one…while letting the many be blessed as a result…
We have believed a lie. That the world can’t go on without us for a few minutes while we focus.
And so we focus on the background instead of the main thing…which is not the important part of the picture…
Ps 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me.
HOW DID HE DO THIS?
His eyes were set on things above….He was focused.
Eccl 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
Our problem is our mindset is on life here instead of on eternity.
Need to refocus….we have a focus error….
Don’t know if my camera will work or not. My sunglasses seem okay for the minute. He restored one lens, I am praying for the other. But regardless, He got my attention. Focus Error. Focus on the One…not the many. It is what Jesus did. Remember the parable of the sheep, leaving the many to retrieve the one. The lost coin, looking for the one. It is a principle of life…focus on the one, not the many things that distract.

ALL FOR YOU