Are You Focused?

What can we do to keep the lessons of the Feast of Tabernacles alive after we return to the daily grind of this world? In a word: Focus.

Do you feel overwhelmed? Tired, exhausted? After coming home from the Feast of Tabernacles, a lot of people, especially women, can feel that way. Unpacking, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, fixing meals, etc. stare us all in the face when we hit the door.

Back to distractions and discouragement?

Coming back to normalcy after enjoying a wonderful, inspiring Feast of Tabernacles can be a little heartbreaking and daunting sometimes because we have just spent eight days in an environment of love and spiritual energy—visiting with, laughing with, eating with and discussing our spiritual future with God’s people. We didn’t want it to stop!

So we come back to our homes and pick up where we left off. But how are we doing that? Are we going to put into practice what we learned for eight days of living the fruit of the Spirit? Or will we leave all of that behind and let ourselves get into sessions of bickering and arguing, watching movies that are not uplifting, or dwelling on the political news of the day that seems to be driving people into violence and hostility?

When our four children were little and we spent eight days at services twice a day, my mind was busy making lists and setting goals of what I wanted to teach the children when we came back home from the Feast.

Now, it seems my goals are just to get through the day! I’m taking care of my husband, fixing him nourishing meals, keeping the house clean, writing blogs, calling friends and brethren to see how they are, and trying to keep up with tons of emails. Visiting Facebook just once a day takes up a lot of time if I don’t discipline myself! I think I had more time before technology than I have today!

Finding focus

What am I getting at? Focus. If I don’t get my focus right, then I feel overwhelmed and behind and tired.

What does it mean to be focused? When I attended Ambassador College years ago, the late Herbert W. Armstrong used to exhort us students to concentrate on what we were doing at the time we were doing it or we would get distracted and not do a good job. I have since tried to keep that advice in my head. 

By focusing on the important things, such as relationships and health, we will be able to attain success in other areas of our life. 

Study the Bible to read about successful men and women who focused on their calling and accomplished the tasks and jobs that God gave them to do. God is the One who helps us focus. We have to show Him that we want to be disciplined to focus on Him and His way of life by asking.

If we need to be more focused on what is really important in our lives, we should beseech God to show us where to focus and where we need to change. Then we can focus on overcoming the obstacles that get in our way of being focused.

Many times I have asked God to help me get the clutter out of my life and become more focused. It is a daily prayer and a daily challenge! By disciplining ourselves and concentrating on the important things in life, the mundane will fall into place. Prayer, Bible study and meditation first in our day will help us get the rest of the day in order!

As Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7, Contemporary English Version).