Staying Focused

Squirrel

In the 2009 movie “Up” there is a character by the name of Dug.  Dug is a loveable dog.  And he is loyal, friendly and SQUIRREL!  And he is…ummm.  For Dug squirrels got his attention.  It was hard staying focused.  Anyone else have any difficulty staying SQUIRREL!  focused? 

Spirit Empowered

In a world of many shiny things and SQUIRRELS staying focused can be challenging. God thought that might be the case and sent help by way of the Holy Spirit.  In an amazing list in Galatians 5 that begins with love there are characteristics or fruit that result from a relationship with God and the last in the list is self-control.  In a world of distractions and battling priorities there is the Spirit empowered self-control.  

Remember Jesus’ words “Seek first His kingdom and His” SQUIRREL! “righteousness?”  For God’s people walking in God’s way with God’s Spirit staying focused can really happen.  Keeping the main thing the main thing is possible. 

Supreme

Among the great SQUIRRELS of our lives are health and wealth and home and work and comfort and affirmation and success.  We can be on a spiritual high and something comes along to rock our world and SQUIRREL! We are off in a tirade or a meltdown or a flare up or a letdown or a…you know.  

Look at these words from an Old Testament prophet:

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!  Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NLT) 

At a time when the people had turned away from God and the invaders were coming threatening economic collapse and life threatening hardships and possibly even captivity or death the prophet took a look at it all and came to the conclusion you just read.  

What about my life today though?  The doctor just came back with a bad report.  The pressure from the job I am working keeps me up at night.  The car won’t start.  The government is taking away and not giving much back.  The people in my family just don’t understand me.  The guy in the Red Ford truck just cut me off in traffic.  SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL!

As the Prophet Habakkuk declares it is in God that real life exists and will continue to exist.  Even when the worst of the worst happens the prophet stays focused.  Habakkuk refers to God as “the God of my salvation.”  Salvation?  The bottom is about to fall out in his life and all around him and he thinks God has saved him.  How deluded Habakkuk must be.  Unless he knows something we need to know.  That salvation is more than deliverance from awful times or even just from hell.  Salvation is so grand it carries a person above the pain and suffering of the tough times of life.  It is wrapped up in a vivid and viable life with God right now right here undistracted by the SQUIRREL! things that would keep us down.   Catapulted to the heights no matter the depths of darkness around the man or woman of God can be joyful and enjoy God’s salvation day in and day out.  

Again, from the prophet:

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!