Targets: Sharpening Your Focus on God

At what target are you aiming?

Being a better person?

Controlling your temper?

Reading your Bible more?

Prayer?

All worthy goals, but have you linked them to the most important goal of all?

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?’

Jesus replied, ‘ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”(Matthew 22:34-40 NIV)

For the believer, a focus on God marks the bull’s eye. Our relationship with Christ is the center. Our target.

Ready

Know yourself. Your strengths. Are you relying on them instead of God? How about weaknesses? Are they producing despair instead of turning you to God? Proper equipment. Does some wrong thinking need to be challenged? Are wounds keeping you from relating to God as He designed? Ask God to help you work through any obstacles or distractions which may be affecting your focus.

Aim

What do you tend to aim at instead of God?

Think back to your dating years. When Russell and I were dating, Russell influenced my schedule. My thoughts leaned toward him. Phone calls were planned. Letters and visits home were highly anticipated. (We’re old, I know. No cell phones or email.)

Relationship also drives my spiritual walk, though it wasn’t always that way. I used to obey from fear. Fear of consequences, punishment, and rejection. The target was avoiding these things.

Today the target is God Himself. I obey because my fellowship with Jesus is sweet, and I don’t want to hinder that. I want to hear Him clearly and often. And I can’t, if I ignore Him or aim elsewhere. I’m learning to practice God’s presence by taking Him with me. Work, school, lacrosse games. As I focus on the have-to’s of the day, I remember He is there and talk to Him as we go.

Fire

Do I want to become a better person? Sure, and I know I will when my focus stays on Him.

Controlling my temper? When my eyes are on Him and we have a running dialogue, self-control gets easier.

Bible study? God promises His Word never returns void.

Prayer? To not talk to Him is as unthinkable as not speaking to my husband or kids.

If you target Him, you’ll hit everything else.

Questions:

Go into archery mode. (Or gun range.) What do you have to do to hit the target?

Walk through the questions above.

Are you Ready?

Are you Aiming at the right target?

When you Fire, what adjustments will you make to hit the bull’s eye?

Tweetables:

For the believer, a focus on God marks the bull’s eye. Our relationship with Christ is the center. Our target. Click To Tweet
I want to hear Him clearly and often. And I can’t, if I ignore Him or aim elsewhere. Click To Tweet
As I focus on the have-to’s of the day, I remember He is there and talk to Him as we go. Click To Tweet
If you target Him, you’ll hit everything else. Click To Tweet

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