Refocus

There’s nothing better than worshiping in the presence of God. There’s something about it, that gives peace to our souls. When we lay everything down, and focus on Him, suddenly, the things that we thought were important, aren’t as important as we thought they were. When we worship, we are looking away from the problems that we face, and we are setting our sites on the One that has a purpose for it all. And we are able to rest in the certainty of who He is. It's not about coming to Him with our needs, and the matters of life, it’s about setting all of that aside, to focus on Him. When we sit in His presence, He revives us. He takes all of our burdens and we can rest in His peace. He renews our minds and gives us a fresh perspective. This is what we need, in order to live in the purpose that He has for us.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been given a new life. We have the ability to leave our past behind, and to run towards the purpose that He has for us. And His word says that He already planned His will for our lives. We don’t have to worry over what lies ahead of us, because He knows. And as we worship Him, and spend time in His presence, we will begin to hear His voice more clearly.

We can’t live this life without being connected to the source.

Without that connection, we have no power, because it is His spirit that gives us the desire and the ability to do His will.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13 NLT)

Worship isn’t only something that we do in a weekly gathering, it is a state of being. Worship is living a life that glorifies our Father in heaven. Worship is magnifying Him in all we do, because we were created for this purpose. But worship is also a choice. Worship is intentional. When we live to glorify God, we aren’t living carelessly. Instead, we make a conscious decision to focus on Him, by meditating on His word and fixing our thoughts on Him. We trade in the things of this world, and we choose to bask in His presence instead.

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT)

This passage expresses the importance of singing to worship God, and singing to remind ourselves of His position in our lives. Because when life takes it’s twists and turns, it’s very easy to forget that we have a shepherd preparing the way for us. And we begin to direct our own steps, and fall into the traps of this world. But the above passage tells us that if we are to understand what God wants us to do, we must not act thoughtlessly. Instead, it tells us that we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is the one that shows us how to walk into His perfect plan for our lives.

Our relationship with God is the most important relationship that we will ever have. But just like every other relationship, it must be cultivated. And just like any other relationship, quality time is necessary. We must set aside time to spend with God, through reading His word, speaking to Him and listening for His response. And we must allow ourselves to get lost in His presence. When we sing about His goodness, a spiritual exchange takes place. When we declare His greatness, suddenly our burden gets lighter, and He plants a seed of peace into our hearts. And as we continue to worship Him, day after day, the seed grows, and we are able to walk in His ways, in faith, with His peace covering us.

Worship is a means of refocusing ourselves.

Every now and then, we have to take a step back and reassess where we are. We have to spend time in His presence, so that we can be reminded of those things that He has spoken over us. When we begin our walk with Christ, our eyes are set on Him, but when the problems of life come, we get blinded by the haze of what seems right in the moment. And because we live in a world full of striving, it’s very easy to move in the direction of success. But success and purpose aren’t synonymous, and every opportunity is not a blessing from God.

His blessings can present themselves as the very problem that we are trying to run from.

We have been conditioned to protect ourselves from the downfalls of life, and we are automatically swayed towards the things that present less resistance to our state of normalcy. But what if your blessing is wrapped in the resistance? What if God wants you to run towards the problem, instead of running away from it?

When we run from our battles, we never get the chance to defeat the giants in our lives.

And God uses those giants to shape us. He uses our battles as stepping stones. They are the very circumstances that He uses to build our character, strengthen our faith, and prepare us for His calling. But our ability to walk in His calling, is connected to our ability to remain connected to Him. At every turn, we have a choice to make. Will we allow ourselves to be tossed with the wind, or will we anchor ourselves to the One that can sustain us?

When we choose Him, we have the opportunity to walk into the plan that He’s established for our lives.

As we worship Him, He imparts His desires into our hearts. He transforms our minds, and shows us how to walk according to His plan. This is His promise.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Psalms 37:4 NLT)

But walking in the will of God does not happen without intentional seeking. It doesn’t happen without an intentional refocusing. We must be persistent. We must go to our Father with the desires that He has put inside of us.

… Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (James 4:2 NLT)

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 N)

When we intentional, and persistently, seek God’s will for our lives, He opens the doors for us that no one can shut. And, he closes doors that distract us from His plan.

…When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. (Isaiah 22:22 NLT)

Have you ever wondered how you will know if you are in the will of God? Because there are times when we can’t hear His voice leading the way, and we won’t always get it right. But this is where our prayers come into play. We can pray the word of God over ourselves. We can ask Him to direct our steps and show us what to do and where to go.

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV)

Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.” (Jeremiah 42:3 NLT)

And we can ask for His will to be done in our lives. We can ask for His protection. We can ask for Him to keep us rooted in Him.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. (Psalms 143:10 NLT)

God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. (Psalms 18:32-33 NLT)

And as we continue to intentionally refocus ourselves, and fix our eyes on Him, He goes before us, and makes a wide path for our feet.

You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. (Psalms 18:36 NLT)

This means that He will send His grace ahead of us, making our decisions fit perfectly into the plans that He determine long ago. This is the sweet spot of His grace. As we walk with Him, and make the decision to refocus our eyes on Him, He opens the doors for us, and He protects us from walking into doors that lead down the road of distraction.

But sometimes, His protection looks like the disappointments that we face in life. Whether it is a failed relationship, a job opportunity the fell through, a financial hardship, or another unfavorable situation. We can’t look to our circumstances and emotions as signs of whether or not we are in the middle of God’s will. Because both of those things are temporary. And our moments of disappointment are a part of the process.

He is a God of opened doors, but He is also a God of closed doors.

And we know what to do with the opened doors. We praise Him for them, and walk right into the blessing. But what do we do with the closed doors? What do we do when the hand of God looks like staying in the situation that we want to get out of? Because those are the times when we are most vulnerable. Those are the seasons that we tend to get off track and strive for success.

When the door is closed, choose to refocus.

In those seasons, take the time to lament over the pain of your disappointment, but don’t stay there. Go to your Father that takes care of you. Cry your tears on His shoulder, exhale, but then inhale the peace that comes from resting in Him. And then get up, dust yourself off, and choose to remain in His will. Choose to keep your eyes fixed on Him. And believe that you will see the promises of God manifested in your life.

I don’t know the closed doors that you’ve faced, but I know that God’s plan is always better than anything that we can fathom. So if He has a door closed, that just means that He has an even better door open just ahead. But you must choose to refocus yourselves. Choose to remain in His presence. Choose to lay down the things of this world, and pick up His plan for your life. As you focus on Him, and pray for His protection and guidance to cover you, He will bring you into His perfect will. He will lead you into His promises, all you must do is follow Him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the amazing plan that you have for my life. Thank you for sending your Son to rescue me, and for giving me the ability to be renewed in you. Forgive me for the times that I strayed away, and thank you for your never-ending grace that covers me. Today, I choose to intentionally refocus my eyes on you. I want only those things that you have planned for me. I ask that you direct my steps, and make a wide path for my feet. I ask that you go before me, and level the road ahead. Protect me on my journey. Keep me rooted and planted in your perfect will. Give me the ability and the power to do what pleases you. And show me what to do and how to do it. I need you with me. Speak your perfect will into my life, and keep me on the path to purpose. I pray that you would open the doors to my destiny, and close any doors that might distract or harm me along the way. Thank you for your favor. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for never giving up on me. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.