Look Up, Be Alert & See things God’s way!
SCRIPTURE
Colossians 3:2 (AMP)
Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above (the heavenly things), not on things that are on this earth (which only have temporal value).
Colossians 3:2 (MSG)
Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. LOOK up! Be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective!
Look Up: We Choose our direction
If Paul told the Colossians they could set their minds, we have the capacity to do the same.
Imagine how much anxiety would disappear from our lives if we learned how to set our minds at the start of every day instead of letting them jump on a train of distracted thoughts that only gain momentum and take us in the wrong direction!
Learning how to set our minds is the first step in getting control of our runaway thoughts and being focused!
Setting our mind on the things above means keeping our minds focused on God, His word, His ways, and his purposes. For extra though and reflection check out following scriptures: Romans 12:1-2, Ps. 119:11, 2 Co.5:17, Eph 4:22- 24, 1 cor 2:16
WHAT WE SET OUR MIND TO MATTERS.
- If we don’t know the direction we are headed, how will we ever get anywhere?! Knowing where we want to go makes it possible to take the next right step. How can you commit to setting your mind on the right things and what does that look like for you as a daily habit? What’s one change you can make today, to gain more control of runaway thoughts?
Author Harry A. Overstreet said, “The immature mind hops from one thing to another; the mature mind seeks to follow through.” To get to the next level, no matter what that level is, it requires follow through. And follow through requires focus.
Be alert to distraction and see things GOD’S WAY
We live in a time where life is busy with plenty of opportunity for distraction & some distractions could even be a blind spot for us! *Blind spot – an area where a person’s view or focus is obstructed. The way to avoid blind spots and to identify distraction is to know God’s word, see things God’s way & outwork that in our life!
James 1:22-25 Amp But prove yourselves doers of the word (actively and continually obeying God’s precepts), and not merely listeners (who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning). Deluding yourselves (by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth). For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looks like. But he who looks carefully into the perfect law and who is an active doer, he will be blessed and favoured by God in all that he does.
When we look into the mirror of God’s word, it shows us who God made us to be, it shows us how God sees things and it shows us what we need to adjust in our lives – and highlights any blind spots!
So often our blind spots develop without us even realising it and before we know it, we can be filtering our focus and direction through negative thoughts, judgements, world culture – the world’s definitions of what is successful, worlds thoughts on our identity, cultural traditions, personal opinions & ideas, or self-motives for personal gain – common blind spots that are easy to miss!
- What are some other common blind spots? What has been a blind spot that was highlighted to you and how did you overcome it?
- If undetected and left to grow; how do you think these distractions affect the God call on your life?
WAYS TO OVERCOME DISTRACTIONS
1. Think about what you’re thinking!
What we think about influences how we behave—the things you do or don’t do. If your thoughts are negative or helpless, then your actions will follow.
John Maxwell ‘You are today where your thoughts have brought you, and you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you, because your thoughts drive your actions’.
A scripture that captures this idea well Philippians 4:8 Amp “Finally believers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and conformed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; think continually on these things (centre your mind on them and implant them in your heart).”
When we fill our minds with things that are healthy, good, inspiring, helpful, and positive, it’s tough to stay distracted or head in a wrong direction.
2. Focus your attention on your desired destination
If we’re going to see Gods plan and purpose for our life outworked in the world, then we must give it our attention; we must commit the necessary time to think about and dream about what lasting positive change is needed, and how that can be achieved.
Wherever you find yourself today remember that you go where your thoughts go, because change follows the focus of our thinking & attention.
A simple way we can get insight to our thoughts is to set aside a few minutes, take a pen and piece of paper, and capture some of the thoughts that go through your mind. Just note them down as they come into your mind. Do this for 5 minutes, or maybe 10 minutes, or longer if you’d like.
At the end of your time, look at the thoughts you’ve put down. Are they positive or negative? Hopeful or hopeless? Full of dreams or full of worries?
Writer George Bernard Shaw once said that he made a reputation for himself by thinking once or twice a week, while most people only thought once or twice a year. Just imagine if we took time to think every day!
- What are your thoughts on the ideas of overcoming distraction by ‘Thinking about your thinking’ & ‘Focusing your attention on your destination’?
- Are you on track to arrive at your desired destination? What helps you to stay on track and what are your greatest distractions?
- Plan to stay focused and speak God’s word & promises into areas you find challenging or that seem to keep popping up and derailing you. Have people pray for you in this area and remember to set your mind, stay alert and see things God’s way!
Sundays Message
Listen to Sunday’s message on the Finding Focus here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/life-au/id1215488039?i=1000552340753
Coming up at Life
Empower weekend this Friday – Sunday https://lifenz.brushfire.com/empower22/525245
Prayer
- Men – 6am Tuesday at LIFE
- Women – 6.30am Wednesday at LIFE