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Stay Focused!

 


Since the birth of social media and 24-hour news organizations, we have quickly seen that information (true or false) travels quickly. It reminds me of words from the infamous church camp song “Pass It On” which states “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.”

We have seen how quickly sparks of information can set our emotions into flame with the recent deaths of Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman. Their senseless deaths set off a blaze of responses due to their murders being categorized as assassinations.

Sadly, this isn’t anything new. Just hearing the word “assassination,” we think of people such as John and Robert Kennedy, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. We can even go back in time to notable leaders as Abraham Lincoln and Julius Ceasar.

Yes, it is true what Solomon remarked in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Evil is doing what evil does. Therefore, since we (Christians) are to be light, we are to shine!

Matthew 5:14,16, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Christians are the "light of the world" by reflecting God's grace, love, and truth! We must stay focused by living out and sharing our faith authentically in all areas of life. 

Stay focused on Jesus. Stay focused on eternity. By staying focused, we don’t take sides. By staying focused we don’t get distracted by the world’s drama. By staying focused we remember we weren’t called to start debates and win arguments. By staying focused we don’t jump to conclusions, speak before listening, make unfounded claims, or be mean-spirited or hateful. We are Christ-like; always and in everything.

Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Our focus is Heaven and not this world. We fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and allow our faith to become more perfect in Him. We become more and more like Jesus in radical love.

2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” When we stay focused, we are keeping eternity in mind which moves us forward as “Kingdom People.”

When we keep our focus on eternity, we have peace and assurance amidst any chaos, distraction, and sin that this world can produce. Worldly issues, debates, and conversations that do nothing more than stir up controversy, more hate and division have all been defeated and mastered by Jesus. Don’t take the bait! Rise above it!

Jesus says in John 16:33, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” To live in Jesus is to live in victory. Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20), so stay focused on Jesus and eternity. Amen!

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