A Sign Among Us - Chapter 4 - Focus

What are you focused on? What are your eyes looking on at any given moment? Are they looking up to Him? Are they looking down at the floor when you are on your face praying?

Are they looking at yourself, and worrying about your particular set of circumstances? Or are they looking at others and wondering what they may be thinking? Are they reflecting on the hindrances of the past?

Afraid to Pray

I was working as a Project Manger for many years for a major plumbing and heating company. I would go out to lunch at least twice a week with someone from the office. When we would go out I would not pray. I was afraid. Why was I afraid? I wasn't nervous, I wasn't anxious, I was afraid. I don't know why. I would pray with my children when we went out. Even when they were a little embarrassed.

Now here I was, a grown man, with another grown man, afraid to pray. It bothered me. It gnawed at me. It grieved me. Every day when I left the restaurant I committed to be strong enough to pray aloud next time. Each time I would cower again.

The Lord had to bring that company to a close to prompt me to pray aloud with my co-workers. It was the last time we would have lunch together before we went our separate ways. I took a deep breath as the waitress brought the plates to the table. When she left I had to ask my friends to forgive me.

'I need to ask you two to forgive me.' They looked slightly concerned. 'I pray before every meal, and I want you to forgive me for not praying earlier over these past two years, and I need to pray now before we eat.'

In unison they said, 'Of course.' They bowed their heads and waited for me to pray. After I prayed they said, 'Thank you.'

Why was I so afraid? I was afraid of the unknown.

'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' II Timothy 1:7

So where did that spirit of fear come from. What I learned from this is that the anxiety of a potential event is always worse than it really is. Write the above verse on your heart and trust the Lord to guide your steps as you put one foot in front of the other.

Once again, Satan cannot undo what God has done. Therefore, he says, 'Let's distract the issue.'

What Is Your Testimony In His House?

As far as our testimony at church, Satan tries just as hard as he does at home. With 'kind' words of encouragement like... 'Who do you think you are wanting to help with Sunday School or Junior Worship? You're not a Pastor.' Who am I? I am a brother in Christ.

'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.' Ephesians 6:10

I believe the Lord wanted me to share this chapter with you. I'm sure you can think back and remember when you were feeling the Lord tugging you to raise your hand and give a testimony. At the same time you were hearing a voice telling you, 'keep your hand down, who do you think you are?' Think about this - the feeling you had was inside your heart, and you know who that was? That was the Holy Spirit and He wanted you to open your mouth because someone in that room needed to hear it, even if it was only one person. If The Holy Spirit is moving you LET HIM. Do not let Satan distract or diminish our testimony at church.

Story Time

A group of successful businessmen were rewarded for hitting their corporate goals. Their reward was to go on an exhilarating white water rafting excursion. Their group was split into three teams. Each team was put in a raft with an experienced farter. Before their adventure began the experienced team leaders had some pointers to review.

The team leader boldly exclaimed the following. 'I'm sure all of you men are very good at what you do for a living. I am also sure that you would agree we know more about this river and these rapids than you.' They all nodded in child-like agreement. The leader's voice commanded and deserved respect.

He went on, 'Seeing as we all agree, I need you to listen to us as leaders. When we say row, we need you to row. When we say oars out of water, we need your oars out of the water. In addition, when we say, dig, we need you to row like there is no tomorrow. They were still nodding in child-like fashion.

The leader still went on. 'I don't know if anyone informed you of the real danger you would be facing today. At one point in our journey we will be going over a twelve foot waterfall.' At this point they were not nodding, but they still had that child-like look on their face.

The leader ended with this, 'As a part of this team, we are going where you go. Do you think we would intentionally hurt ourselves? No! We have been down this river a hundred times. We will get to the end of this journey, and it is up to you on how we get there.'

After the leader's little pep talk they excitedly went on their way. Our story focuses on fart number one. They were in front, the whole time their eyes were scanning the horizon in search of what they thought the topside of a waterfall might look like. They were very good listeners, when they were told to row they rowed when they were told, oars out of water, the oars came out.

As they came to a quiet, calm portion of the river their was an eerie still. They knew what was on the horizon however, they could not see it or here it. They knew it was there. At that moment the team leader shouted, 'DIG!' In unison all members of the first boat were rowing as if there were no tomorrow, as if their lives depended on it. Before they knew it they landed safely on the down-stream side of the waterfall. As they looked back in awe at the falls they realized it was more realistically twenty feet in height.

The team leader quickly directed them off to the shore where they could watch raft number two and three go over the falls. They watched boat two and three get violently buried in the digesting current of the falls.

What happened? Boat number one did what they were told. They listened to their leader with no questions. He has done this before. He would not intentionally hurt himself. They decided that they were going to listen to him. They got over the falls. Why?

'Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass' Psalm 37:5

I can imagine what happened in raft two and three as they watched the first raft disappear off the horizon. 'Where did they go? What happened to them? Is that going to happen to us? Maybe we shouldn't row as hard as we really can. Maybe we will get hurt less if we don't try as hard.'

They focused on the distractions.

'...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' - Philippians 3:13-14


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