SHARPENING YOUR FOCUS 
by Dr. John Tetsola

What Is Focus? 

As we begin this new year, what are we looking at?

Focus is what you are looking at, and what you continually look at will determine what you move toward in life. If you are constantly looking at your past - your failures, your financial problems - you are doomed to live in it. The Bible says to forget the past and remember not the former things because when you do, the past has the power to lure you to the place of pain, stagnation and depression. You cannot get to your future by dwelling in the past. You cannot get to your future by constantly looking at your failures. You will never leave them and you will never get beyond them.

Focus by definition is the adjustment of your spiritual eye or lens so that a clear image or picture of what God told you to do is produced. When a Christian says, " I am so confused," that is an indication of an individual without a clear image. When you become a Christian, it is the intention of God for you to see clearly. God is never the author of confusion. The Bible says that where there is no vision, the people will perish. They will cast away restraint, discipline and become lawless. God's gift to us is to clarify vision - why you were made, why you are here on earth, or why He gifted you the way you are. There is nothing wasted about your life. You need a clear vision to understand who you are and what you have been called to do. If you are not where you want to be in life today, it is probably because of broken focus. Helen Keller was asked what could be worse than being blind. She said "having sight without vision." You can have 20/20 eyesight and no vision.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

If you can focus on tomorrow by looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, it will help you disregard your past and your limitations. The Scripture says as far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you and I will remember them no more. If God has forgotten our transgressions, why do we keep dwelling on them? Your past will weigh you down, if you don' t let it go. It will cost you your future. When God told Abraham and his wife to leave their family and their country, instead Abraham brought with him Lot his nephew. Lot was not in the package that God ordained for Abraham. Lot was a good idea, not a God idea. God says "you and your wife." Instead, Abraham included Lot and when he did, all he had was a lot of trouble from Lot.

Focused vision makes the difference in life. Life is a test. You can only move up to the next level when you pass the test. God does not socially promote us to get rid of us. God will not flunk you, but He won' t promote you until you pass the test. You can change churches, wives, husbands or change jobs, God will run you right back into the same problem until you pass it.

Refusing to be Distracted 

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 4:34 

Jesus was focused to accomplish His assignment. He said, "My will is to do the will of the one that sent Me, and to finish it." Jesus knew His will. He knew what He was sent to do, and He was focused to complete it. He never allowed His focus to be broken by the applause of men, by persecution or even by the shame of the cross. He allowed none of it, including His family, to break His focus. He kept moving toward His objective, and on the cross He was able to say "It is finished." Jesus knew His purpose and His objective. His purpose was not to empty the hospital of all sick people, yet He healed sick people. His purpose was not to raise every dead person in the grave yard, yet He raised the dead to demonstrate His power. He still has that power today, but His focus was the redemption of mankind. He was never enticed by what He could do for Himself and what He could build for Himself. He was focused on the reason why He was sent.

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luke 4:3-4 

Jesus had the opportunity to be sidetracked and to opt out of what He was called to do. The devil tempted Him many times to break His focus, to give up His pursuit for physical gain, but He refused. There are going to be constant opportunities presented to us that will come across our paths to break our focus and stop us in our pursuit. Jesus never took the bait from the enemy, and He ended up finishing well.