Focus!

Jay Leno says that he went into McDonald’s one day and said, “I’d like some fries,” and he vows and declares that the girl behind the counter asked, “Would you like fries with that?” (Lack of focus).

Audiologist, David Levy recalls a frantic client who lost her hearing aid. She had been eating a bowl of cashews while talking on the phone and her hearing aid was sitting on the table next to her. (You already know where this is headed, don’t you?) In the midst of her conversation she mistook the hearing aid for a cashew and ate it. (Lack of focus).

Actor James Cagney recalls that in his day acting was not as glamorous as it is today. In the movie The Public Enemy his character had to run away from an enemy who was shooting at him with a machine gun. Since there were few special effects in those day, the actor had to use a real machine gun with real bullets. One wrong move and he could have been dead. (Focus).

One of the secrets of being successful in anything we do is this…Stay Focused.  The Apostle Paul was one of the most effective persons who ever lived. Today—2000 years after his death—his writings are still being studied by millions of people all over the world. Has there ever been—except for Jesus—a person whose thoughts have influenced more people over the generations than this tentmaker named Paul? What was his secret?

Well, very simply, Paul possessed the uncanny ability to remain focused on his calling. In Philippians, Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death.” Then he sums up his intent with these words, “But this ONE THING I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

That is focus. Paul concentrated his whole life on this one thing—knowing Jesus Christ. And because of that, Paul has affected the lives of millions of people across the world and through the generations.

Is your life like a fuzzy photo—out of focus? Maybe it is time to hone your attention on what is truly important. And what could be more important than your relationship with God? Focus!