Where our focus lies
Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect on the path that your life has taken? Such a reflection can be accompanied by varying degrees of emotions and thoughts based often on the particular season of life you may find yourself in. In a season of loss, failure or hardship, we often have the tendency to look back with a sense of deep regret, shame, anger, or sadness. Often we will encounter a combination of all of these. When engaging in self reflection during a period of peace, blessing or prosperity, we will often experience a sense of satisfaction, happiness joy and thankfulness. In both cases, all of these are typical and for the most part, normal human responses.
We all experience these seasons. Of course, when a loved one exits our lives, whether that may be through death, broken relationships or distance, we well naturally encounter feelings of grief, loss or anger. When that expected job promotion falls through or worse yet, in the face of job loss, we will have feelings of doubt, fear and disappointment, perhaps even anger. These responses of ours are generally normal and natural, to be expected.
Likewise, when a broken relationship with someone we love is restored, or a new one is begun, or we are given that job promotion or a new and better employment situation arises, we normally will enjoy a sense of joy, peace, even pride at times. Again, normal human responses.
In both cases, good and bad, it is inherently human, a part of our very fabric to be emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually influenced by our current circumstances. It is healthy and proper to experience all of life’s emotions and reactions to that which is going on around us, or to us or even within us.
A dangerous tendency, however, would be in allowing these thoughts, feelings and emotions to become a very real driving force to how we daily live our lives. It is one thing to experience anger let’s say, but it is quite another to embrace that anger to the point that it may encourage bitterness to settle in. It is well and good to hold on to the sense of joy at having achieved a promotion at work, but so very important to not allow that drive or that achievement to become a sense of pride or one upmanship over our co-worker who was passed over for that promotion. In essence, we being human do have an inherent ability to take our emotions, feelings, thoughts based around our circumstances, and base our life’s value and importance on those circumstances.
The fact of the matter is, while it is normal to experience emotions, thoughts, feelings and varied other reactions to what we are currently dealing with, there is a factor that can and should level out the field somewhat for us. Your worth, my worth, are not set by what we are faced with. Our value is not found in the great circumstances or achievements of the various periods in our lives, nor in the failures and heartaches. Our value, each one of us is of utmost and infinite worth. Jesus said in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”. Remember, this is Jesus talking here…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who laid down His very life for you, for me, for all who would accept that truth. That is where our value lies. That is where our joy needs to reside. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and He loves us so deeply that He died in our place so that we could live eternally with Him. Eternity is a long time folks!
When your world crashes down, eternity awaits. When everything in this life is wonderful and full or hope and promise, eternity awaits. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” This truth can be applied not only to our troubles, but also to our victories and celebrations. One day, all of the hardships and joys will fade into relative insignificance, in comparison to the joys of celebrating with Jesus in an eternity that will be unlike anything we could hope for or imagine. Let’s try to experience all of life with the emotions, thoughts and reactions that God has blessed us with, while maintaining a deep, underlying trust and focus on the promised future, where He will wipe away every tear. Eternity is coming! I am praying that we can all maintain our hope, our sense of worth and our focus on that very truth.
