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Author: Pastor Andrew Farland

Over the last couple of days, we have talked about the importance of refocusing on God and freeing our minds of the distractions of our daily lives. The idea of getting away from the daily routine and getting closer to God sounds amazing.

If we are truthful to ourselves and accept the fact, we frequently experience discouragement. Maybe you decided long ago to follow Jesus, but it’s getting hard to live a Christian life in this world. Or you chose to raise children in a Christian home, but as the kids are growing older, you find yourself on the verge of giving up because it’s so tough.
The world can discourage you and me pretty quickly. And if we’re not careful, we can be tempted to give up.

Instead of giving up, we need to look up.

That’s the challenge for you today. Don’t give up. Look up! God’s got your back.

The writer of Exodus 14:14 says, “Be still and let the Lord fight for you.” God has already gone ahead of you and won the battle for you. Your job as a follower of Jesus is to keep pushing forward, trusting that God has your wants the best for you.

So, if you’re trying to be a better person, a better dad, a more involved spouse, a harder-working employee, or just a more faithful Christian, don’t get discouraged when the evil one throws obstacles your way. Instead, believe that God is proud of you and wants you to keep up your focus on Him, the maker and sustainer of all things. He has already won the battle for you!

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Author: Pastor Andrew

One way to regain focus is to make reading the Bible a daily habit. David’s prayer in Psalm 119:25 demonstrates this: “I am completely discouraged. Revive me by your word.” It’s crucial to change our mindset since our thoughts impact our actions, attitudes, and relationships. The best way to do this is by reading God’s word. Even setting aside five minutes during your lunch break can make a difference.

The second way to refocus is to meditate on what God has done in the past. Ask yourself how God has shown up in your life. Ask how many people He has put into your path that have helped you become better people. Think about the good things that God has allowed you to have. Acknowledging what God has done in your past can fill you with confidence to move forward.

The third way to refocus is thinking about God’s promises. The Bible is filled with words from God, telling you how important you are to Him. To refocus, find scriptures on God’s promises to take care of you. The best place to start is to read Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

Say those words from Philippians 1:6 out loud a few times and make a mental note of how you feel. Are you more focused on God? Do you feel like your mind and heart are in a better place?

If you’re like me and recite Bible verses, you’ll find that it changes your thoughts, actions, and overall attitude.

I am praying for you as you turn your attention toward your creator!

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8)

Author: Pastor Andrew

There are two characters in the Bible that I can relate to the most: Jonah and David. Their stories resonate with me, not because of their major successes, they had. Relatively, I see a lot of myself in their struggles. Each man had to stop and refocus on God because he had veered off track.

King David, whom the Bible calls a “man after God’s own heart,” made some mistakes. Long story short, he wanted a beautiful, married woman for himself. So, he had the woman’s husband sent to the front lines of battle to get killed. Don’t get me wrong. I have never done something like that. But, I have let my selfish desires cause me to act against God’s character. In a sombre moment when he realized his need for God, David prayed, “I am completely discouraged. Revive me by your word.”

Jonah was a man whom God asked to do something crazy. He asked him to go to Ninevah, a city with unbelievers, to preach a one-sentence sermon: “In forty days, Ninevah will be destroyed”. As all of us would do, Jonah ran far away from Ninevah to get far away from God’s call on his life. God didn’t let Jonah run for long. In a moment of clarity and a realization that he should stop running, Jonah said, “When I have lost all hope, I turn my thoughts once again to the Lord.”

Why can I relate to these guys? Because there are many times in my life when I have to stop what I’m doing and refocus on God. There are times when I have to be revived by God’s word. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Are you in one right now and course-correct? If so, what I want you to do over the next couple of minutes is repeat Jonah’s words out loud:

“When I have lost all hope, I turn my thoughts to the Lord.”

Refocus your mind and heart on God today. It’s never too late. After all, look at David. If He can find a way back to God, anyone can!

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

Author: Pastor Andrew

Let’s get real for a second. Do you have a grudge against someone? Maybe it’s a person who bullied you when you were younger. Or it’s a co-worker, family member, or former spouse. Is there someone in your life who you try to avoid at all costs because of something they did to you a long time ago? Keep that person in mind for a moment.

It’s easy to hold grudges against our enemies. And if we’re honest with ourselves, it feels good to hate them. In a way, we attempt to get back at them for what they did to us.

I want to challenge you today with a hard truth. God doesn’t see our enemies as His enemies. He sees them as lost people, created in His image, who desperately need to come home. In Jesus’ longest sermon, The Sermon on the Mount, He tells His disciples to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Is Jesus saying we’re supposed to love the people who hurt us? Is He telling us to take time to pray for the person we never want to see again for our entire life? Yes!

To be clear, Jesus isn’t telling you and me to stay in an abusive relationship. If you’re in one right now, get out. Those people we consider enemies are the very men and women He died for. He could care less about our grudges and care about them finding the fullness of life that comes from following Him.

Today, as hard as it might be, I challenge you to pray for that person I asked you to think about at the beginning of our time together. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you get over your grudge and start to grow more into the person God created you to be.

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. (Proverbs 25:21)