by Veronne Carter
Genesis 1:1-3 (et al.) [NKJV] - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. And God saw that it was good…”
I’ve never been a track runner, but I’ve run races. I wouldn’t call myself an athlete, but I’ve played several sports. I remember my very first driving lesson at age 19 – my instructor gave me the most valuable piece of advice…which I still use today.
Focus. Where is my focus. Your focus. Our focus? In a race, the runner is looking down the track to the finish line. In a sport, although the player is aware of his/her surroundings, their eye is always on the goal or the basket. In driving, I was told not to look at the hood of the car, but to look at where, on the road, I’d like to go.
Right at the beginning of the scripture we build our lives upon, there are foundational truths established. (1) In the beginning God. (2) In the beginning God created. (3) And God said…and there was… Somehow through life’s many occurrences, the fast and constant pace that many of us keep, the constant barrage of information thrown at us (through people interaction, gossip, social media posts, news and television pundits, and even our entertainment outlets), our focus begins to slowly waiver. We put our focus and contentment on things other than God. We look at our jobs and forget to focus on the true source of provision. We listen to opinions which begin to sway us, and we forget to focus on the real source of truth. We even look at certain trends or viral posts and forget to grant time to the one who holds our very hours in the palm of His hand.
When we fast, we re-focus. We say to our bodies and our souls that we know where our focus belongs. It gives us a moment to look at the road, or the goal, or the track, instead of the many things that compete for our attention. If we deeply believe and remember that God is just as much God today as He was in the beginning, and that He created all things – and that what He says goes, then we will realize that there is no other thing in our world that is more worthy of our focus than the God of all creation!
Take time this month (and every day, for that matter)to make sure your focus is where it belongs. On God! Give up those things that have stolen your focus; and set your mind (and your heart) on those things which are above, where Christ is seated (Colossians 3:1-3).