Focus

Matthew 14:29-30 AMP Jesus said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me!

Just watch drivers today; you will quickly see the struggle to focus is an epidemic. We are surrounded by constant noise and distractions: cell phones, TV, social media, others demanding our attention, and even our own thoughts can disrupt our ability to focus. While the account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter stepping out to meet him holds many truths, maybe the most prominent is the importance of shutting out distractions and focusing on the only thing that is important.

The day began with Jesus hearing the news that his cousin John had been beheaded. Jesus tried to withdraw to mourn but was followed by a huge crowd. In complete selflessness, Jesus was compassionate, healed their sick, and fed the crowd of 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus then instructed the disciples to return by boat across the Sea of Galilee so he could finally have time to himself and to pray. Sometime around 3am, Jesus began the journey across the sea, except he was on foot. When the disciples spotted Jesus, doing something that had never been done before, their first response was shock and fear. But Jesus did what he always does: calmed their fears.

Peter was called to come. It was not impulsive or just Peter being Peter, but a response to Jesus calling. We do a lot of things that God has not specifically called us to do, but for Peter to have not stepped out of the boat would have been disobedience. The most common question in Christianity is, how do I know God’s will or calling for my life? Jeremiah 29:11 makes it clear that God has a plan for your life, and it is good. John 10:27 tells us we are fully equipped to hear God’s voice, and Isaiah 30:21 says God will tell us, “This is the way; walk in it.” But to hear God’s still small voice over the noise of the world and to receive and obey his instruction over the arguments and logic of our mind, you must surrender. Romans 12:1-2 spells it out: fully surrender yourself to God as a living sacrifice, allow the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to transform your minds and ways of thinking, and then you will recognize the calling and purpose of God in your life.

The challenge for Peter and for us is to stay focused on Jesus, not on the storm. Don’t you know that at least a few of the other disciples were shouting, ‘Peter, what are you doing?” Trouble comes when we lose focus, when the voices of others and the problems of life seem to become bigger than our God. Israel was freed from Egyptian bondage because their God was bigger, David defeated Goliath because his God was bigger, Gideon and his army of 300 defeated the 135,000-member Midianite army because his God was bigger, and Paul wrote some of the greatest portions of the New Testament from prison because his God was bigger. When Peter stepped out of the boat, scripture specifically states that he was moving toward Jesus, focused on the one who had called him to come. But then the distractions came; the wind and waves became bigger than Jesus, and he began to sink.

The good news is this: “The arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” (Isaiah 59:1). The instant Peter cried out, Jesus was there. Whatever is consuming your thoughts and distracting you from the one who has all the answers, bring those things to Jesus and let him give you rest. Set your mind again on things above, focus on Him, and the peace that passes all understanding will be yours! Let’s regain our focus.

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Colossians 3:1-3 NIV Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Philippians 3:12-14 NLT I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

John 2:15-17 NIV Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Matthew 16:23 NASB But Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.

Psalms 119:35-37 NIV Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your words.

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.