We are so easily distracted by the cares and pleasures of this world. Knowing he is defeated, Satan has brilliantly crafted a strategy that is making certain that he doesn’t go down alone. His entire purpose is to thwart the plans of God, delay his own inevitable demise, and keep you and me as far away from God as possible. He accomplishes this through altering our focus. As followers of Jesus, our focus should always be on two things: God Himself and serving others in His name. Everything else in life will make sense if we are keeping our focus solely on these two areas.
Realistically, our imperfect humanness will prevent us from having proper focus at all times. That does not mean that it shouldn’t be our goal. Every waking moment should be spent either focused on God, or aspiring to focus on God. When we focus on anything else, we fall into Satan’s trap. Once he has you not looking at God, it’s simple for him to get you focused on yourself, and to rob you of the joy of living for Christ. Jesus wants nothing but the best for your life; Satan wants nothing but the worst. Satan is diabolical, yet we waste no time cuddling up to him when the smallest thing doesn’t go our way.
Focusing on our own desires means we are not focusing on God. Focusing on our own comfort and security is selfishness, and definitely does not occur when we are focused on God. Jesus promised to give us everything we would need if we would only trust Him to deliver (Matthew 6:25-33). When you trust Him to take care of all your needs, you won’t be distracted by the lures of wealth, fame, and everything else associated with “the American dream”. Trusting God to take care of your needs and safety frees you to spend your energy on serving others.
We are repeatedly told in Scripture to care for others in need. In the earliest days of Israel, God told them to provide for the poor among them (Leviticus 19:9-10). They were instructed to look after the foreigners living in their country, and not to discriminate (Leviticus 19:34). Jesus specifically told us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31), and clearly articulated the way we should serve others in His name (Matthew 25:31-46). James, the brother of Jesus, reiterated the responsibility to care for orphans and widows, and to keep away from the temptations of the world (James 1:27). Living like this creates a life that is focused on serving others.
Regardless of what is going on in our lives, our focus must remain the same. We must constantly readjust and make certain we are focused on loving God and serving others in His name. This is why we exist, to honor and glorify our Creator. Too often, my focus gets diverted onto myself; how about you? Every day we must fix our eyes on our holy and loving God. He is constantly focused on us. We owe Him the same in return.