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    Mar 06, 2016

    Fulfilled and Free 5: Focus

    Fulfilled and Free 5: Focus

    Passage: Romans 12:2

    Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

    Series: Fulfilled and Free

    Category: Discipleship

    Keywords: discipleship, health, meditation, prayer, wholeness

    Contemporary life is filled with distraction, making it difficult for us to focus on what is truly important.

    Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

    You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3)

    Sounds lovely.  Peaceful.  But life isn’t always like that – right?

    Our study book for this series says this:

    In a world where so many distractions compete for your attention, it is more important than ever to stop the busyness in your head and focus on God’s plan and priorities for your life.  The bottom line is that whatever gets your attention gets you.[1]

    Let’s take a look at what might be considered a normal day in the life of a very normal family – The McStraction Family, a family whose focus is ferociously faulty!

    SCRIPT – The McStractions (This script was presented as a comical skit at this point in the message.)

    Tracy:      (walking up to table with carry-out for dinner finishing a conversation on her phone): hanging up phone, greets the 'kids.' Connor acknowledges and Katie has her earbuds in listening to music and doing homework.

    "You won't believe the day I've had! I've been working on a project all week and my boss has the audacity to add another project that is due tomorrow! They must think I am a super hero?!? So that means I'll be going in early again tomorrow and I will probably be home really late!"

    Connor:   But Mom, you said you'd pick me up after school and take me to swim practice. Oh, and I told Sam we could give him a ride too.

    Tracy:      (head in hands/eye roll)  "Connor, I don't think I can make that work - in the future you need to check with me first before you commit me to things!!! Your father will have to pick you up.

    Travis:     Whoa whoa, whoa!!!  I can't do carpool tomorrow. I am scheduled to pick up WaWa and deliver it to the Food Pantry and then I have to go back to the office for a late meeting.  (Turning to Katie) Hey, Katie, put your phone away - it's dinner time – tech-free time" (Katie has earbuds in and can't hear Travis so he pulls one out of her ear and repeats himself....)

    Tracy:  You know Katie there are other people in this universe besides Justin Bieber and Beyonce'!?

    Katie:       Hey Mom, I forgot to tell you that I need to take 24 cupcakes for school tomorrow.

    Tracy:      Ugh!! I guess I'll have to stop at Giant after Choir Practice tonight.

    Grandma Kim:  I know what I want for dinner tomorrow night --- Spaghetti. So you better pick up all that while you are at Giant, dear.

    Tracy:      That reminds me- Mom has her colonoscopy scheduled for Friday. So that means no spaghetti tomorrow, Mom. Just broth and jello. (looking at Travis) And guess what that means Travis - you get the prep duty, Dear. (Hands him a BIG bottle of prep liquid)

    Travis:     (head in hands and a look like "please don't make me" 

    Grandma Kim: laughs out loud!!!

    Connor:   Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!  (Getting progressively louder)

    Everyone:           What?!?!!!!! 

    Connor:   Aren't we gonna pray before we eat and thank God for our food?

    This week’s topic – this week’s essential – could be a whole series in itself!  We only have time to scratch the surface.  There are many really good recommendations in this chapter:

    • Meditate on God: 
      • Dwell on – ruminate on – the names of God and ask yourself what each name implies about God.  
      • Think about God’s character:  all-powerful, love, all-knowing, merciful, faithful.  Then ask yourself how you have experienced God’s character, one aspect at a time  
      • When things get stressful we often have some “go-to” thoughts that may or may not be true.  When have you challenged your “go-to” thoughts?  Our guide recommends that we interrupt that kind of thinking by asking, Is this really true?  An example – I have no control over what I eat or having time to exercise.  Our guide book tells the story of a man who told his doctor that he had no control over what he ate.  The doctor asked him, “Is that true?  Just by thinking that you have no control, you have just given yourself permission to eat anything you want at any time you want.”  The book goes on to say:  One of the most important steps in getting healthy in a lasting way is to get control of your mind.  Whenever you feel anxious, sad, obsessive, or out of control, write down the thoughts that are going through your head.  Recording thoughts helps to get them out of your head.  Then ask yourself if the thoughts make sense or are really true.  
      • Gratitude.  We’ve talked about this before.  Rather than getting stuck in negativity, turn your thoughts to gratitude. Background SLIDE:  Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus - 1 Thess 5:16-18

    There is so much more.  I actually thought this was the best chapter in the book, and even if you aren’t participating in the study, perhaps you’d like to take a look at this chapter.  The book is available in our library. 

    Remember that great quote from Charles Swindoll that we used in the Keep Calm and Trust God series?  Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.

    At the turn of the century, a shoe company sent a representative to Africa.  He wired back, “I’m coming home.  No one wears shoes here.”  Another company sent their representative, and he sold thousands of shoes.  He wired back to his company, “Business if fantastic.  No one has ever heard of shoes here.”  Both reps perceived the same situation from markedly different perspectives, and they obtained dramatically different results.

    Perception is the way we interpret ourselves and the world around us.  We are not controlled by events or people, but by the perceptions we make of them. [2] 

    Friends, truly changing – renewing – our mind takes focus and intention.  It’s that “making a 180” we have mentioned several times during our Lenten journey.  We’re set in our ways – driven by our thoughts and convictions.   Focus.

    Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

    [1] Rick Warren, et al, The Daniel Plan.  Zondervan, 2010.  Page 186

    [2] Ibid., page 211