Have you ever been out riding your bike and noticed a rock in the road? …and no matter how hard you think about not hitting the rock the more it seems to draw your tire right toward it? One of the most dangerous aspects of a police officers job is stopping people on the highway, because other drivers see the lights and instinctively veer toward them. Point: you get what you focus on.
Humans have a weird ability to make things happen just by thinking about them.. we can cause great things to happen, or our worst nightmares to become real, depending on what we focus on. If you obsess over your fear that your spouse will leave you, chances are pretty good that you will subconsciously make it happen.. you will become suspicious, jealous, controlling, cold and eventually you’ll push the one you love away, or just leave on your own because you can’t stand thinking that it’s inevitable that they will leave you… congratulations, you did it! You made it happen just by thinking about it! It’s like MAGIC! How many people have started out with the most noble intentions, to fight poverty, injustice, hunger, and before it’s all said and done they have become corrupted by what they hated… If you obsess over the wrong things, if you focus on negatives, you will be drawn to the very thing you want to avoid. If you spend all your time focusing on someones faults, pretty soon that’s all you’re going to see.. no more goodness, no more sense of humor, no more affection.. all you will see when you look at that person is a pile of failures.
Hebrews 12 says “..(let us) fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!” The writer of Hebrews knew that where our eyes focus we will follow! We should fix them on CHRIST so that we will follow CHRIST, focus on CHRIST, obsess of CHRIST. How can you say you chase on thing but stare off at something else? DON’T FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES or you will infect your mind with a cancer. Don’t give doubt, insecurity, negativity, jealousy, suspicion or imagination any place in your thoughts! REJECT THEM, they are SIN. The Bible says to put such thoughts out of your mind and cling to what is good and noble and just! Focus on the good in people. Don’t obsess over the rock in the road, rejoice in the other 30 feet of clear pavement! Too much attention paid to a tiny little rock will bring you crashing down. Focus on the good in people and you may be disappointed a time or two, but at least you won’t be skinning your elbows.
So true! I appreciate your statement, “You get what you focus on.” I have to remind myself of Philippians 4:8, which you touched on — “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” And I have to be intentional about looking for those positive things. Sometimes, it ain’t easy. Thank you for the analogy and exhortation!
Sweet: Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it!! I only had time to read one of your posts, but I appreciated it as well! I plan to read more when I have a chance, thanks for being part of the conversation!
thanks for the “refocus”, I’ll be missing that rock next time……..
Some days I feel like I’m riding behind a leaky gravel truck… but I’m doing my best..