What we look at and focus on makes a huge difference in all of life. If we are driving our car and focus on cell phones or other devices instead of where we are driving, we can get involved in an accident that we were not planning on. So with all of life our focus has to be in the right direction. Our natural inclination is to get angry or discouraged or fearful if we focus on the wrong things and don’t look at the correct things.

The Apostle Paul makes an interesting statement in 2nd Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Everything that we see around us is only temporary. If we focus on that alone, it is difficult to see the whole purpose of life. It is easy to get upset with life and think that life is not worth living.

So the question is how can we not focus, just on what we see, but focus on that which is eternal? In 2nd Kings chapter 6 is the story of the King of Syria who wanted to capture the prophet Elisha. So he sent his army to surround the city where he was staying. In the morning when Elisha got up along with a fellow that was helping him, they looked out through the city wall and saw the army that surrounded the city. Elisha’s helper was terrified and asked what in the world were they going to do. Elisha prayed and asked God to open his eyes to see the angelic host that was around them. He then saw that God’s army was way more numerous than the Syrian army. Elisha proceeded to ask God to blind the Syrian army and he led them to the capital city where they fed them and sent them back home.

So the first step is to humbly come to know the eternal God by inviting Him to come into our life. Secondly, we need to become a student of His word the Bible. Suddenly, we begin to see that God promised He will never leave us or forsake us. He has a whole host of angels around us to enable us, if we will ask and trust in God who wants to fill us with His love and joy. In Acts 17 the Apostle Paul again reminds us that we as human beings are the offspring of God. He designed and created us through our parents. He goes on to say that in God we all live and move and have our being. In other words every day is a miracle gift from God.

What God is asking us to do to change our focus is to think differently from the things of this world to the eternal revealed in the Bible and seek God with all our hearts. Suddenly, as we focus on God’s eternal realm and recognize that He is all around us, the temporary things around us will lose their importance. We will begin to see what is most important which is that which will last forever. God makes this amazing promise in Romans 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” God’s goal is to indwell each of us and shape us to becoming more like Christ.

May God richly bless you with a focus, not on the temporary things of this world, but on the eternal!