Focus

           I was at the grocery store today and saw a few people I know. However, a couple of them were so focused on their shopping they never saw me even though they appeared to look straight at me. I suppose we all get that focused sometimes. As I drove home I pondered how much of my life I live with tunnel vision. I can certainly get pretty focused, just ask my kids when I am focused on something and they attempt to talk to me.
            Problems can do that to us. We get to a place where that is all we can see. There is nothing else, just this problem looming all around us. But if we step back we can see a bigger picture, we can see the bright spots in the midst of trouble. We get stronger, we see things we never saw before, we open our eyes to see blessings. I’ve always heard that we learn best from our mistakes and to a certain extent that is true. I know in my career mistakes stick with me far longer than lectures. Satan uses our mistakes to beat us over the head and accuse us repeatedly. God uses our mistakes to help us grow.
            When we read about Jesus’ many interactions with sinners in the bible, he asks people to turn from their sin, “Go and sin no more.” But he does not harangue them about how awful they are. He demonstrates love and forgiveness. When the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to Jesus and pressed him to pass judgement, he did not.
          John 8:7-11 “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” she said.  “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
            1 John 1:9 “When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God forgives, Satan doesn’t. 

            When it all seems too much, change your focus and you will see wonderful things. 

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Comments

  1. JodyOctober 25, 2015 at 8:59 AM

    I do not know why the bible verses whited out, I have tried to change it but have not been able to do so. If you want to look them up the verses are: John 8: 7-11 and 1 John 1:9.

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