Eyes Up - part 1 - Focus

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

Last week I wrote a post called “Kryptonite” and in that post I told a story of Peter walking on water. In the story, he loses focus on Jesus and began to sink in the raging waters. I encourage you to read the post as this post serves as a part 2 to that post as a friend encouraged me to write a follow-up to “Kryptonite”.

In this post, I want to revisit a post that I wrote some 2 years ago on the topic of focus. We are going to look at a small section of Paul’s life and I hope that it helps you find your focus.

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Paul’s name was not always Paul, and he was also not always the most popular guy. When we first see Paul in the book of Acts his name is Saul, and he hates the Christian people. Saul is heading to Damascus where he has permission to arrest and bring followers of Jesus back and torture and kill them.

But on the way, a bright light blinded him and he was carried to Damascus where he meets Ananias who restores his sight. Saul then immediately starts preaching and proclaiming the good news of Jesus (Acts 9:20). But the people did not buy into his change of heart so quickly. So the people started to run him out of town after town. Then something happens and Paul finds himself in jail. [1]

Paul and Silas are now in Philippi on their way to a place of prayer. They are being followed by a female slave who can predict the future. She was telling all of the people what Paul and Silas were doing. Finally, Paul grows annoyed with her and tells the spirit to leave her. When the owners of the female slave find this out and that they can no longer use her to make money, they have Paul and Silas seized, beaten and thrown in jail inside an inner cell. [1]

In spite of that, what do we see Paul and Silas doing? They are praising God in the midst of their trouble.

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25, NIV)

Even after all that Paul and Silas had been through, they chose to praise Jesus. They were at the lowest they could have been, and they still praised Jesus. They were locked in an inner cell, chained and fastened in stocks, but they still praised Jesus. Not only were they praising Jesus, the other prisoners were listening to them (I mean, they were praising Jesus in jail, they were going to get attention.) [1]

It’s all about your FOCUS in the situation.

A friend helped me bring the below picture to life. It was not exactly what I had in mind. I had pictured it differently but it insisted that we do it this way. So we did and it turned out to be better than what I had in my mind. I used the picture in a lesson that I taught a couple of years ago and I had this to say to the 4th and 5th graders I was teaching.

I asked the students what they saw when they looked at this poster board and at all three services I got the same answer. Do you know what it was? Well, before I tell you, what do you see in the picture above? The students answered at all three services with the word…. CHOAS! (And yes, they did shout!!)

Then I asked them another question; what do you see in the middle? Now that is an easy question and they answered… JESUS!! (And yes, they shouted again!)

Then I told them that Jesus is with them in the middle of our chaos. When we feel like life is out of control, and we are being beaten by the waves of life, Jesus is right there in chaos with us. I don’t know how you are feeling at this current moment as you read this. But whatever you might be going through, Jesus is there with you. Jesus will take you through the chaos to the other side, and you will be stronger.

And as I said, it’s about focus.

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[1] For more on the story told in this post please read Acts 7-9 + 16

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