Staying Focused

Staying Focused 

Ask yourself the question 

Am I doing this as an act of a loving relationship?

Am I helping my family, neighbor, friend, stranger?

Am I doing it as unto the Lord?

Don’t get distracted, keep your focus

Let everything you do in word or deed let it be an act of love

I have never been diagnosed with ADD

(Attention Deficit Disorder) but I can get

tired of projects that last a long time.

The older I get the shorter I want my projects.

I want to get it done and move on.

But if you are like me your projects last longer

than you planned, and if you have a lot of projects,

things get backed up and you feel overwhelmed.

You think you want a vacation but you

can’t think of taking the time off.

So you work longer and harder

 but you don’t catch up.

If we are not careful, we will

look at our lives as the “rat race”.

So what do we do when we lose

interest in what we are doing?

What do we do when we want to move

on to something else but can’t get there?

The Bible tells us not to become weary in well doing.

The first question we have to answer is…

Why are we doing what we are doing?

I seem to have a talk with myself every day.

I ask what is important in life?

Out of all the things I could be

doing is this the best use of my time?

I had one of these talks the other day as I sat on

the tailgate of my truck waiting for a Menard’s

employee to bring me the toilet I just purchased.

As I looked at the black top and the

accomplishment of projects…

 I said is this important?

I looked at the beautiful blue sky and said…

Is vacationing, enjoying the weather important?

As I am waiting for my toilet, I thought…

 Is this what life is all about?  Is this important?

I thank God that I have a good knowledge of God’s Word;

 as you can see my thoughts were going down the drain.

The most important thing in life is relationships.

Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

As I waited for the toilet, I had to

remind myself what the toilet was for.

It was not just a toilet, it

was the establishing of a family.

It was one of those things you don’t

think about but is very much needed.

Yes, I am tired of working on Marty and Crystal’s house.

It has been a year and I have put aside many

other things I need to do and want to do.

So as I sat on the tailgate waiting

I got my head out of the toilet.

I thought of the family I am helping.

Helping them build a home where

their children will grow up and

someday have families of their own.

It is not the love of a house and how

great of a transformation I can give it.

It is the family and the families

that will grow out of this family.

It is the transformation in their lives as I put in

their toilet because I love them and want to see

them impact the world for the Kingdom of God.

So the next time your mind is in the toilet,  

ask yourself the question…

Am I doing this as an act of a loving relationship?

Am I helping my family, neighbor, friend, stranger?

Am I doing it as unto the Lord?

Don’t get distracted, keep your focus.

Let everything you do in word or deed let it be an act of love.

Ask yourself who am I doing this for?

If what we are doing is not for the benefit of

relationships, than maybe we are out of focus.

Scripture Reading

Mark 12:28-31 NIV

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Colossians 3:23-25 NIV

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.