Shift Your Focus
October 3
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...
Hebrews 12:1, 2
As the service started, Laura noticed the young man in a motorized wheelchair. She watched as he pressed a button on his control stick. The chair portion of his mobility unit lifted, extending up and back, giving him the ability to use the limited function of his arms and hands to push himself to a sitting position so he didn’t have to remain slumped in his seat. He then lowered the chair back down, and began to sing.
Oh, Lord…Laura thought, I have nothing to complain about! If he can come in here and sing with that smile on his face then I can do the same! and with that, Laura joined in the chorus of Chris Tomlin’s ‘Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone’.
The message that day was about shifting our focus off our problems, where Satan wants it, and looking to the One Who has the ability to lift us above every trial, struggle and sorrow we will ever face, to a place of peace and security in the midst of the struggle.
God spoke to Laura, “I know of your pain and problems. I promise that one day soon your struggles will end. Until then, look to Me. If you do, I will set you free.”
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In Tomlin’s rendition of Amazing Grace, he sings, ‘My chains are gone; I’ve been set free…’ The power of such truth comes from knowing that no matter what happens to us in this world, and bad things do happen to us all, we can find rest and freedom in Christ Jesus to weather every storm.
This is not to say we do not feel pain, and our problems aren’t real…they are ours and we must walk through them. But we don’t have to focus on them.
The secret is in what we spend our time looking at. If we focus on the problem the problem is what we will see, feel, and live. Conversely, if we set our eyes on Jesus, we will find peace and confidence that breaks the chains of emotional and spiritual captivity.
Prayer
“Give me the strength to keep my eyes and mind focused on You, Lord Jesus. Just for today, help me remain fixed on You, and Your power to break my chains! Amen.”
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