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A Question of Focus
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.”
Hebrews 11:13–15
Dr. John Rice told how growing up poor on a ranch in Texas, the only present he and his siblings received for Christmas was an orange. Before they ate their special gift, his mother told them to save the peels, setting them on top of the refrigerator, and she would later make candy from them for another treat. Dr. Rice said that he began thinking about those orange peels, and finally decided that since some of them were from his orange, no one would realize the difference if he ate a few of them. He said, “It wasn’t long before I put my hand on top of the refrigerator and found that I had not only eaten my own orange peels. I had eaten all of the peels from every orange.”
If our minds are constantly focused on things that we do not have, or things that we have left behind in the past, it will be easy for us to rationalize doing things to get what we want, even if we know they are wrong. Our focus is not neutral—it has a powerful impact on our conduct. The things that fill our minds determine what our feelings will be and eventually what our actions will be. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Hebrews 11:13–15
Dr. John Rice told how growing up poor on a ranch in Texas, the only present he and his siblings received for Christmas was an orange. Before they ate their special gift, his mother told them to save the peels, setting them on top of the refrigerator, and she would later make candy from them for another treat. Dr. Rice said that he began thinking about those orange peels, and finally decided that since some of them were from his orange, no one would realize the difference if he ate a few of them. He said, “It wasn’t long before I put my hand on top of the refrigerator and found that I had not only eaten my own orange peels. I had eaten all of the peels from every orange.”
If our minds are constantly focused on things that we do not have, or things that we have left behind in the past, it will be easy for us to rationalize doing things to get what we want, even if we know they are wrong. Our focus is not neutral—it has a powerful impact on our conduct. The things that fill our minds determine what our feelings will be and eventually what our actions will be. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Like we experience when driving a car, our lives tend to go in the direction we look the most.
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