Pick up any article on life, sports, business or relationships; listen
to talking heads you will inevitably read or hear about the topic of focus.
Focus…focus…focus. It’s brought up over and over again. It’s rolling through
the media; business and self-help articles are all proclaiming the virtues of
focus.
From technology, to self-help, to entertainment, focus is a cornerstone
of life that everyone accepts as being critical. Check out these video clips[1] on YouTube that
talk about focus. While not agreeing with or necessarily enjoying their
language, these clips provide an important sampling of how focus is woven into
our culture;
- City Slickers, staring Billy Crystal. In this scene Jack Palance (Curly) tells Billy about focusing by “finding your one thing” – http://youtu.be/2k1uOqRb0HU
- Jeff Dunham, Spark of Insanity. Jeff and Peanut banter back and forth about the need to focus – http://youtu.be/1bOoJz3MFmQ
- Tony Robbins, explains how to focus and its impact on life – http://youtu.be/fWZGg3h8kxM
- Steve Jobs speaks at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference, defining focus as being about saying no – http://youtu.be/H8eP99neOVs
To summarize, focus requires thinking; focus is using our brains.
And when it comes to using our brains in connection with faith, there
is a huge disconnect that’s the size of the Grand Canyon. Our culture, friends
and the media all define faith as this blind leap into nothingness. Sometimes
you might think that having faith is unplugging your brain and leaping over an
intellectual cliff. You may have heard this; you may even have said it.
But nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Jesus. You
may be surprised to find out that Jesus and the Bible encourages our focus and thoughtful
reflection; he commands us to focus, think and reflect a great deal.
The Bible defines faith[2] with words like;
- Confidence – like a legal document proving that you own your car or house
- Assurance – proof based on testing, having seen the results
- Understand – see with reflection and intelligence
In talking about worry, Jesus directs us to think, focus and use our
brains. In contrast to the problems with worry, Jesus says “Consider how the
wild flowers grow.[3]” Jesus tells us
to look at, think about, chew over, reflect and talk through. And he wants us
to do this again and again, spending time as we work it through. He does not
tell us to jump off a bridge without a net; he tells us something to think
about.
Faith in Jesus, following him and becoming like him requires deep,
prolonged and consistent reflection and thinking. After Paul met Jesus in a
personal and meaningful way, he went into the Arabian Desert for three years
where Jesus personally taught and instructed him. This was no Mr. Spock induced
Vulcan Mind Meld or “uploading” programs through The Matrix neck plugs, Neo and
Morpheus. No, it is a process that takes time, thinking, rethinking.
I have friends that meet with me for coffee and we talk about life,
faith and our questions. They have come to describe this thinking process as a
journey, and I can’t think of a better word to describe it. Faith in Jesus is
both a one-time event and an ongoing process. We come to Jesus by faith[4] and we walk with
Jesus through faith[5].
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step”…Won’t you
start your journey with Jesus?
Blessings – Chet
Chet Gladkowski speaks and writes on topics that touch on culture, life
and faith through GLAD Associates. This article is taken from a chapter in his
upcoming book.
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