What captures your thoughts?
Does it capture you?
Do you control your thoughts?
Do they control you?
Ford
Kavanagh
We know the names
We know the uproar
We know what’s at stake
But do we really?
Our eyes, our thoughts, our nail-biting attention draw us into the chaos that has become our divided divisive culture.
So, what’s really at stake?
Focus
Our focus
Our attention
The energy that flows within us stirring us to love or hate—to relax or run—to hope or to worry. And our chaotic world steals our attention and becomes the soul-sucking, energy-stealing, derisive, divisive focus of what should be our dreams—our hope—our vision for joy and a future.
Why?
Misplaced trust
Whom do we trust—should we trust? In whom do we place our hopes. In whom do we fear?
Eyes fixed on the fury for too long become eyes and hearts bewildered and broken for the lack of honest answers in a world that is full of lies and false hopes.
We long for a high court that is fair and just—for leaders whose hearts are for the people, the nation, and a better, safer world.
But as we watch and listen to the hurricane of whirling words and emotions, we lose ourselves in the storm. The uncertain winds seem to have a mind of their own. The social media storm blasts us with sardonic memes, sound bytes, and GIFs. The comments are colliding waves of vitriol mixed with ignorance. Emotion overcomes reason tugging and pulling us in...
Unless...
Unless we maintain our focus.
There is but one high court with one judge whose name is Faithful and True.
He sees the hurricane—the whirling storm of emotions—the collective, chaotic worries of our world gone mad. And He is greater than the storm. And He has see the storm before and even greater storms.
But these storms are a gentle rain to Him. Nothing to fear. No need to worry. Life is more than these ill winds—more than our seemingly endless worries.
No matter the path of the storm. No matter the trail of devastation. Nothing changes who He is.
But our choice is who he is in our hearts. Our hearts—our tiny kingdoms with our tiny thrones. The choice is ours. Who is going to reign over our thoughts? Who takes the throne of our hearts?
Our Supreme Court is not supreme. Neither are our worries.
We cry out to God with words that still ring though spoken hundreds of years before Yeshua’s birth.
“How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.”
Some things never seem to change. “Times change.” But do they?
So, why focus on human ills that only change names and places and times. New hurricane. New name. Different place. Different time.
But the storm passes. And the Faithful Witness sees and knows our suffering, our worries, our questions.
And He is our answer, our focus, our supreme judge who took our judgment and bore the penalty for us.
The fears that steal our thoughts and our time haven’t changed. Many have successfully ridden these storms through millennia by trusting in the One who is Faithful and True—the One who controls the wind and waves.
So, let’s cast off our momentary fears knowing that no matter the storm that rages, the author of life controls the pages. Let’s focus our thoughts on Him who sees us as His joy—His treasure—the ones worth dying for—the ones worth holding dearly through the storms of life—the ones worth saving from the grip of death—the ones worth giving life, abundant life, forever life.
He deserves our attention—our focus—our devotion—our hopes and dreams.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”