STXWM Blog

by April

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT)

As we get closer to the end of the year, let’s talk about the concept of spiritual focus a little bit more. There are many biblical passages that directly or indirectly address the concept of focus, or being committed to maintaining a fixed position or mindset.

Before we dive into that, however, let’s talk about how focus affects your daily life. First of all, it is driven by your wants and desires, and that focus then steers your end game, or your destination. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you made sure that you got it?  It could be something as small as a pair of shoes, as insignificant as a monthly maid service or as grand as the purchase of a new home. You prayed, you scrimped and saved, you prayed again, maybe you even cried and begged, but ultimately you were determined to get that thing you wanted.

Do you see the pattern here? There is a burning desire that causes you to maintain a focus on a particular goal, and that fixed mindset leads the way for the dream to hopefully become a reality. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always give us exactly what we want, so the destination is a toss-up. You have a 50/50 chance of getting what you really want, because we all know that sometimes the thing that we thought we wanted doesn’t ultimately turn out for the best.

Recently, our family finances took a shift. When our two oldest children decided to waylay college for a year or two, their college paths became dangerously close to child #3 graduating from high school, so we are now the proud parents of three college students and one high schooler. Not only are we almost total empty nesters, but both of our paychecks, as well as all of our gifts and income are being funneled to a university, to ensure that our three oldest children are able to stay on campus. They have received grants and scholarships and have taken out student loans. Additionally, we have taken out parent loans, and sent in a lot of money to the college besides. All because we want our children to start their adult life with the foundation of a four-year college degree. We are convinced that there is no price tag on the education that our children will obtain as they begin to distance themselves from their childhood to become solid, healthy adults and receive a quality, biblically-based university experience. So my husband and I are doing whatever it takes to facilitate that goal, but we still haven’t arrived at the final destination. We are currently in the middle of the journey and we do not yet know if our dream will become a reality, because we can’t see into the future.

So what is the takeaway for believers? That’s where God comes in. Let’s read what the Bible says in James 4 regarding our desires. “2 You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” (James 4:2b-3,5-6,10 NLT)

It is clear, therefore, that desires can come from two very different places. They can either come from a place of selfishness or they can come directly from God. The key to receiving the outcome that we desire, is to make sure that we are focused on a desire that has come from the heart of God. “3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” (Psalm 37:3-5 NLT)

“The key to receiving the outcome that we desire, is to make sure that we are focused on a desire that has come from the heart of God.“

April Jones

When you trust God, do right and entrust every action into His care, He will be there for you. You will be protected, you will experience increase, He will grant your desires and He will be present to help you. The spiritual principle is actually very simple. When your desires come from God, He loves to pour out His rich and abundant blessings in your life. Friend, together let’s seal this God-ordained focus in our hearts and minds today.

Father, you know me better than I know myself. You see into the very depths of my heart and You know what lies in the crevices of my soul. Help me to wait on You, knowing that You have the most amazing plan in store for me—something that is far beyond the best that I could ever imagine for myself. I resolve to trust You as I listen to the gentle call of the Holy Spirit as He places those divinely-inspired desires in the corridors of my heart. I pray that I will continue to trust Your goodness and lovingkindness, even as I wait to see Your plan unfold. In the name of Jesus, Amen.