Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Philippians 4:6 onwards The Message Bible
Yesterday I was told of someone who was always moaning. This guy, from an earthly point of view, has much to be grateful and thankful for. Yet his focus is on the negative things around him and not his blessings. Sad.
Examining my own heart, I wondered where my "lens" was pointing and what was I zooming on.
My hobby in later life is photography, particularly nature, flowers and wildlife. For my 60th birthday I got a good digital camera.
I have two "magic" buttons on my camera:
1. "focus" - this turns a blurred image into amazing sharpness (great for capturing a flower in intricate detail).
2. Auto-focus tracking - which anchors onto a moving object [like a bird or a bear or a fox] so that it doesn't blur.
Our lives should have those two spiritual buttons placed firmly on our blessings in Jesus. First and foremost, the focus of our lives should be on Him so that we can see in detail His greatness. The second, in the changing circumstances of life, we should use the tracking focus button to lock onto and KEEP us firmly focused on Him whatever.
It's so easy to focus on the wrong things and, before we know it, we're full of complaints.
In the Message translation it gives great advice to turn our moans into prayers - focus on the One who can change our outlook and bring things into perspective!
As a young Christian, I used to have verse 8 above as a poster on my bedroom wall.
It was there first thing to focus my mind before negative things distracted me.
I'm the sort of analytical personality that tends to see pitfalls rather than opportunities.
God has brought me a long way since then, but many times I have to reboot myself because I lose my focus!
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, Philippians 2:14 Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2
Let's zoom in on Jesus this morning!
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