What’s In Focus?
Maintaining Perspective on What’s Important
Hurry or we’ll be late!
It was Saturday morning, and my daughter and I were heading to church to attend the annual women’s Christmas program. I wanted to get there early.
Due to COVID-19, it had been two years since our church had hosted this event and I was excited to attend the “Parade of Tables” before the program began. Yet here I was. Sitting in my car. Waiting for my daughter. Again.
As I waited, I thought about how many times over the years I had tried to rush my daughter. But not that morning. Instead, I was in a completely different mindset. Deborah rushed to the car with profuse apologies for being late. With complete sincerity told her that it was fine – being on time didn’t matter. At all. What mattered was that I was able to spend that morning with her. That was more precious than anything else. Whenever we got there was fine.
You see, Deborah almost died a few months ago. Being with her that morning wasn’t a given. And while there is still a long way to recovery, I relish and embrace every moment we spend together. It made me realize that a major shift in my priorities had been needed for quite a while.
My perspective on what was important was out of focus
When I turn away from focusing on Jesus to my own wants and desires, I lose the ability to see situations clearly. Over time, that incorrect focus causes stress that is then passed to others. Jesus never uttered the word, “hurry”. At least not in my Bible! How then can we set or shift our priorities in the face of the ever-present rush of the world?
Priorities: As you plan an event or engagement, understand your priorities. Do you want to be early, or is the focus on spending time with someone else? Name one (and only one) main priority you’d like to see on the other side of the event. If you focus on only one clear priority, it is more likely to happen. Think about the “big picture” rather than getting caught up in little details.
Expectations: What would cause you to utter the words, “that was a complete success”? Once you clarify your expectations, you can check each against reality. Is it realistic to expect your adult child to change plans to participate in a family dinner when they have already made other plans? Have you communicated your expectations to others so that they can be agreed upon together – or are you just hoping they will come to pass, leaving the potential for extreme disappointment if your expectations aren’t realized?
Understanding your priorities and clarifying your expectations will bring things into focus. Above all, invite Jesus into each question. Your priorities and expectations need to align with what is important to Him.
Keep your focus on Jesus and everything else will fall into place
You will also find yourself and others around less stressed as you continue finding ways to live Beyond the Noise.
Go Beyond:
“Does your focus honor Jesus or do you need to shift your perspective?”
“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith” (Heb12:2)
Feel free to share your response in the comments below!
