Staying Focused on God

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A Christian thought to ponder ...

There are times when I will worry about whether I said something wrong to someone or if I offended someone to the point where I will be stressed out about it all week. Sometimes, I focus so much on what people think about me and what I do or say that I take my focus off of the most important one – God. I have let the enemy distract me by focusing on myself, my insecurities, and my doubts. I have ignored the fact that I need to surrender all that stress and worry into God's hands. I need to let Him be in control. When I am so focused on myself, I set my faith and trust aside so, when I step into the water, I am not walking with Him, but I am sinking into the depths of the murky water, just as Peter did in Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

So, why do we doubt God? Why do we tend to focus on ourselves and not God? Why do we let all those minute events that take place daily in our lives take precedence over God?

It is because of our sinful nature that we focus on ourselves. Satan wants us to be distracted. He wants us to be at odds with one another, and Satan wants us to doubt. Satan wants us to have fear; and to question, judge, and condemn one another. Satan wants us to do everything that is the opposite of what God wants us to do. Satan wants to thwart God’s plans for humanity. The enemy wants us to focus on anything but God. He doesn’t want us to love each other, help each other, or forgive each other. The enemy wants hatred, bitterness, anger, doubts, and fear to harbor in our hearts instead of faith, trust, and love. If we were to just lay all those trivial daily events in our lives into our Lord’s hands, let him handle and take care of everything, and leap out into the waters with blinding love, faith, and trust, we CAN walk on the waters with Him through the storm.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for reaching out to us despite our waves of doubts and fears. As we go about our daily lives, help us to stay focused on You. Help us to surrender all our troubles and worries to You and rest it all in Your hands. Help us to grow closer to You and develop a stronger relationship with You. Help us to be loving, kind, and forgiving towards one another. May Your love shine through each and every one of us each and every day.

I ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God Bless,

Carol