“Let your eyes look right on and let your eyelids look straight before you….turn not to the right hand, nor to the left.”
-- --Proverbs 4:25, 27
Did you know that sunlight can be focused through a magnifying glass to start a fire or enable you to burn your initials into wood? Focus is a powerful thing is used correctly. In order to succeed in any endeavor, you need to keep your focus on what you want to accomplish. In some cameras, you have a lens which must be turned and set to the point where you can see your object most clearly. Eye doctors use lenses of different focus in order to check your physical vision. Horses, on the other hand, have to have blinders on so they don‘t go to one side or the other but keep straight ahead. Proverbs 4:25-27 tells us to look not to the right or to the left but straight on. To use another example from my novel, Lucas, the older beggar was always chiding Timotheus for his lack of focus on the business of begging. Barabbas, on the other hand, once he had the vision of the insurrection, kept his focus on it, even to the point of purposing even to sell his business, which angered his wife. An example from the older testament might be David. If he had kept his focus on his job as King and have concentrated on strategies to win the war, he might not have focused on the bathing beauty next door (Bathsheba) The two real-life examples I cited in chapter 5, Thomas Edison and col. Sanders both kept focused on their goals until they achieved them.
I myself realize part of my purpose is to be a writer. Thus, I gain a vision of what I want to write and focus on it until it‘s done. I find that I have to force myself sometimes to not pay attention to some of the many emails I receive as many would take my focus off of my vision which is derived from my purpose.
Once you obtain your vision derived from your God-given purpose, keep your focus upon it. Do not allow outside influences to divert you from the path. There may even be things that seem urgent at the moment, but in reality, are not important. Rest assured that once you put your hand to accomplish something, no matter how great or how small, there will be those who try to distract you and get you off the path for one reason or another. Another good example from the older testament is Nehemiah. He found through prayer that his purpose was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and he had the vision of doing so and kept the vision all the way through. From the time he made his request to the king until the walls were done. About half-way through, the distractors came, in the form of Sabella, Tobias, and Gresham. They sent to Nehemiah for him to come down and meet with them, but instead, Nehemiah sent messengers to them, saying: “I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). This must be our reply with those who would distract us from our vision and the fulfillment of our purpose to be involved in lesser things. Keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel. Keep your focus sharp. Don‘t look to the right or to the left but go straight ahead.
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QUOTABLE QUOTES:
1) "The only reason men fail is broken focus"
---Mike Murdock
2) "When every physical and mental resource is focused, one‘s power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously."
---Norman Vincent Peale
3) "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
---Mahatma Gandhi,1869-1948, Indian leader
4) "The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - men who are creative, inventive and discoverers.”
---Jean Piaget, 1896 1980, Swiss theorist
5) "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
---T.S. Elliot, poet
6) “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
---Alexander Graham Bell
7) “Live life to the fullest and focus on the positive.”
---Matt Cameron
8) “The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.”
---Brian Tracy
9) "When you change your focus, you will change your feelings"
---Mike Murdock
10) "The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.”
---Robert J. Shiller
11) “Let your eyes look straight ahead;
Fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to thepaths for your feet
And be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Keep your foot from evil.“
---Solomon (Proverbs 4:25-27)
12) "Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the master wants."
---Paul (Ephesians 5:17 [The Message])
13) ”Let us rid ourselves of everything which gets in the way and let us run with determination the race that is set before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on...the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, scorning the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.”
---Paul (Hebrews 12:1-2 [TEV/NIV])