We had a Sunday school lesson this past Sunday on
anxiety, and there was a theme I noticed that rang throughout the entire
lesson: FOCUS. If I were to think about the answer to anxiety, focus would not
have been my first thought. I probably would have thought, “stop worrying.” Or
I would have thought “trust in the Lord.” Perhaps “think positive things” would
have been my answer. Other thoughts: “don’t fret.” “Have good friends to talk
to.” And if nothing else was helping, perhaps a good anti-anxiety pill! LOL!
These can all be helpful, and are part of the solution, but I like the simple
word “Focus.”
When you think about what anxiety really is, it is fear.
This fear can become irrational if we dwell on it. It can change our outlook
and shade everything we look at in a negative way. It’s like putting on
sunglasses and changing our what? Our focus. Our clarity.
What is it that we should focus on? Or shall I say,
“Who?” The object of our faith and trust is the key, because if we are relying
on something that can let us down, then fear has some rational place. Placing
our faith, trust and focus on Jesus Christ is a reliable place because He is
incapable of error, He loves each and every one of us, and He has the power to
either change our circumstances, or change us.
There is a song my family is working on singing together
that says, “Sometimes He calms the storm, other times He calms His child.”
Isn’t that true? Sometimes we have to go through the storms of life, but God
can calm us and empower us to deal with what we have to deal with, and that
makes all the difference. Free will of individuals around us sometimes causes
us pain that is inavoidable. The best thing we can do for ourselves, and even
teach to our children, is to have the tools to endure suffering. A key is how
to stay focused…on Christ, on the goal, on our purpose, on our mission in life,
on the rewards that come from living a faithful life for Christ.
I
loved the example our teacher gave from Daniel 3:15-18:
“Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of
musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye
worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace; and who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are
not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be
so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou
hast set up.”
Do you see the resolve these young men had?
They never lost focus on God. The king challenged the ability of God to save
them, but whether He chose to save them or not, they were fully persuaded in
their minds to do what was right, and to not do what they knew was wrong. And
I’m happy to report that while they had to be thrown into the fiery furnace,
they didn’t die, they didn’t get burned, and their clothes didn’t even smell
like smoke! If you think maybe the fire wasn’t that hot, the men who threw them
in died from being so close to the flame!
Another set of verses out of our lesson that
stood out to me was Hebrews 2:9-13:
“But we
see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of
death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste
death for every man. For it became him, for whom
are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of
one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the
church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold
I and the children which God hath given me.”
My husband and I have determined to bring up
our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. One way we can do this
is by setting the example of how we trust in Him through our trials. Trials
give us opportunity to let the glory of the Lord shine upon us. We know the end
if we’re saved! We are made perfect, or mature, through suffering. We should
protect our children the best we can from suffering, but when it does
ultimately come in some way, which is inevitable in our world, we need to teach
them to use it for gaining knowledge and wisdom to strengthen their resolve and
determination to do what is right no matter the cost.
This is a good argument against strong drink
or drugs. If our minds cannot focus, then we have lost our ability to fight
anxiety. Some people drink to dull their senses so they can relax, but dulling
their ability to think clearly can get them into trouble and cause them to lose
focus on Christ and doing what is right. They can make choices they will
regret, and not even remember what they said to someone to damage a
relationship. We should stay away from any substance that will envelope our
minds, even TV or video games or electronic devices if it becomes an addiction,
which can cause chaos in our minds rather than keeping sound minds that can
think clearly through troubles.
Think about how damaging the words of our
mouths can be, with sometimes irreversible damage. James 3:5-6: “Even so the
tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a
matter a little fire kindleth! And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that
it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is
set on fire of hell.” Powerful analogy!
We are not immune to trouble. Job 14:1: “Man that
is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” How will
we deal with trouble? God puts people in our lives to talk to and we shouldn’t
be ashamed of needing to talk to some godly people who can give us wisdom and
feedback. I am convinced that some of our friends and people we meet through
life are meant to be in certain chapters of our lives to help us through those
stages. Are you sensitive to help those around you? You may be that person God
is going to use to help a coworker through a dark valley they are in right now.
Peter lost his focus on the Lord while walking on water, and as soon as he
looked at the waves and the storm, he began to sink. He looked to the Lord for
help, and that outstretched hand saved him. Yes, he messed up by taking his
focus off Christ, but he redirected it back on Him and didn’t allow pride to
cause him to drown.
It’s interesting how Noah preached for 120
years, and only 8 people on the entire planet made it on the ark, and those
were members of Noah’s family. Just because an idea is popular doesn’t mean it
isn’t a bad idea. Noah was in the minority but he had the answer for the
survival of mankind. The people mocked him. It seemed strange for him to build
an ark for a massive storm that was coming when it had never rained. We can get
discouraged when people do not accept the Gospel, especially when we see the
state of our world and the reprobate minds that have developed. The Lord has to
show people the error of their ways. It is best for us not to flip flop, but to
know what we believe in and why so we can not only be fully persuaded and
focused, but so we can give a reason to others for the hope that is in us.
We will lose focus if we look around at the
mockers, and feel ashamed for our conduct in Christ. Romans 10:11: “For the
scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” We will lose
focus if we allow our minds to be affected by trying times. Look to godly
brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement and examples, but remember we
are all human and all fail. Jesus is the only One who will never let us down.
Show others we have a different spirit from the world. Keep the chains off your
mind! Be fundamentally grounded in what you believe, and you will find peace in
the midst of your storms. Pray and be honest with God with your feelings,
fears, and anxieties, and keep the big picture in mind. The world needs a
Saviour, His return is imminent, and He loves each and every one of us, and
yes, that includes YOU personally. Take comfort in that. Read His word and
pray, and stay clear and focused on what He wants you to do and the kind of
person He wants you to be.
