October 7. Matthew ch 3-5
OUTER AND INNER LIFE
“For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 HCSB
GOOD DAY. Today, I want us to look at the word FOCUS. The dictionary meanings are: the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition; the centre of interest or activity. Jesus was a man of focus when He was here on earth. Made in His image, we must learn to focus as well.
There are two broad aspects of focus that are possible. The first is on what we can see and feel with our senses. The physical tangible things. The state of affairs as the facts of a matter or situation presents. This is temporary and could change any time. It could be pleasant or otherwise but it is temporary, it will change. We should not make these temporal situations our center of interest or activity. For example, if you don’t have money today, it doesn’t mean you can’t have abundance of it tomorrow. To the physical senses however, it presents a clear visual definition. If you keep your attention on this, you will neither be steady nor happy. A person who fixes his focus on things that are seen has no focus at all as the object of his focus is ever shifting.
The second is Unseen things which are however eternal. They include unseen virtues that make up life. They are love, peace, joy, kindness, honesty, patience and such sorts. When your focus is on these, you steer your inner man in directions where you maintain them. They become your life GPRS. These virtues are within you forming your inner world. At any moment, whatever enhances them is what you stock and plan on. When you envision or imagine anything and it disturbs any of these life virtues, then you quickly bring your thoughts back to whatever enhances them. Such things that enhance your inner world are found in Philippians 4:8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 HCSB
Enhancing these life virtues may involve some external pain but the pain is nothing compared to the eternal weight of glory that having them produces. If all people could focus on their inner world enhancing these virtues and not shifting focus following ever shifting outward things, the world will be at peace. Start playing your part towards world peace today by focusing on inner virtues that endure eternally.
PRAY: Dear Lord, help me to make enduring virtues my compass in life.