Good Morning...
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Today's devotional is written by Jan Andersen. The title is "EYES FRONT" Jan writes about how what we focus on can determine the outcome of a situation. She reveals where to keep our eyes focused for the best results.
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Today's Devotional
"EYES FRONT"
written by
Jan Andersen
As we go through our life adventures, our focus can affect the outcome. Sometimes those experiences are joyous, sometimes somber, and sometimes downright harmful. There are births that bring delight, struggles that bring pain, and deaths that bring sorrow. While it may seem that life would be so much easier if our entire saga were only made up of positive events, sometimes it takes challenges to truly make us refocus our attention and grow. To some people crisis means terrible trouble and upheaval. But it can also be defined as a turning point in a sequence of events that determines whether things end up for better or worse. So a crisis in and of itself is not negative. It is simply a point of decisive change in the course of events. We can become bitter or better through our crises by how we choose to approach them and on what we choose to focus.
If we approach things with dread and alarm, we give power to the situation itself. Worry, anxiety, and fear all can contaminate the outcome. For example, when I am working with a horse, it can sense my nervousness and feed off of it. The horse becomes anxious as well, and the situation becomes worse. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I am worried the horse may spook, it is more likely to be fearful and startle at something. But if I am calm and confident, the horse feeds off of that positive energy and feels more secure. We can become our own worst enemies when we approach life with constant bouts of trepidation.
It is certainly difficult to remain calm in a crisis, especially if we have had bad experiences in the past that began the same way. Sometimes a current event triggers an aggressive memory or even an actual flashback in the case of people with PTSD. But if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the troubles can melt away. Even if the circumstances are harmful or deadly, keeping our focus on what really matters - our heavenly home in the end - brings a whole new perspective. With PTSD, developing a mental "safe place" can be vital. That safe place can include resting in the arms of Jesus. What is happening around us or to us becomes less intrusive and destructive as we place our whole hope in him.
It has been said that keeping things in perspective is like driving in a car. The windshield through which we look at things ahead is much larger than the small rearview or side mirrors that show us what is behind or things we have already passed. Keeping our "eyes front" means that we focus on what is ahead more than what lies behind. We may learn from our past, but we don't need to over-focus on it or get stuck in it. Our future is much greater and more heavenly!
Phillipians 3:13b-14 (NIV) One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Dear Father in heaven, help me to keep my focus on you and your promises, especially the promise of eternal life in heaven with you for those who remain faithful. Remind me when the road gets rough to keep my eyes front, focused on that ultimate goal. Thank you for your forgiveness when I keep looking backward, over focussed on what has passed or not following the proper road ahead. Help me to lead others to you so they too may see your loving mercy and help along the journey. Help us to see crises as opportunities to refocus on you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Prayers are lifted up daily for
you by the Devotional Writers
and the Monthly Writing Staff
of Women's Focus Ministries.
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