Playoffs and Focus

We are on the eve of the baseball playoffs and 8 teams have the opportunity to end the year as World Series champions. For the next month, individuals on these teams will have a single focus...everything else is comes second to winning that title. Have you ever felt that way...whether it was about a friend, girl/boyfriend, family member, or work? If so, you know how your thoughts can be a runaway train and everything else is an afterthought.

We all know that a single focus on another human or a secular event can have adverse consequences. Maybe you've seen the person who plastered himself into a wall just to look at a beautiful lady/gentleman for one more second...or seen the person who got in a car wreck because they were texting on their cell phone while driving.

Now flip the switch...what if our sole focus was on God? We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). We are also told to meditate on the God's word day and night, that we may be careful to do everything in it (Joshua 1:8). Psalm 84:10 reminds us that one day in God's courts are better than 1,000 days anywhere else. The beautiful thing about this is that serving others is part of our single focus on God. Jesus told us that the most important commandment in the Law is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind...Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

I don't know about you...but if Jesus tells us 2 principles to follow will help us be right in every other area of our lives, it's good enough and you can lock it up and take it to the bank (not only is Jesus better than Tiger and Shaft...He's also better than banks). We love to focus so much on things that will only let us down with time....let's flip the switch and focus on the one who is the great I Am...because at the end of the day if God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Mental Toughness

Did you hear about Tiger Woods winning the US Open this weekend while fighting through knee pain? If so, you may have seen the new ad featuring Tiger's father talking about him. In the ad he says, "Tiger, I promise you that you'll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life. And he hasn't; and he never will." Maybe in his admiration for his son Earl Woods forgot about Jesus, who exhibited greatest mental toughness of all time, or made an obvious exception in his head.

I am sure hitting a golf ball through distractions, the pressure to win the US Open, and knee pain is quite challenging. However, I doubt that Tiger will ever have to play golf after having a spear stuck in his side or being nailed to a cross. Don't get me wrong, I respect the heck out of what Tiger did this past weekend (even more so now knowing that he will need season ending knee surgery)…but it wasn't nearly the punishment that Christ went through for us and it didn't save my soul. So, not only is God better than Shaft…he's also better than Tiger.

We should be overfilled with joy that Christ our Lord has the greatest mental toughness of all time. How wonderful is it for us to be able to rely on the great I Am who does not change in spite of difficult circumstances (Numbers 23:19)? When we trust in God and His resolve, He is able to accomplish great things for His kingdom regardless of how the situation looks at the time. The accounts of David slaying Goliath (1 Samuel 17), the account of the fiery furnace (Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendnego in Daniel 3), Paul on his missionary journeys, and the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60) all show us how we can reflect God's mental toughness when we remain in Him.

God is Better Than Shaft...

And Kobe....and Tiger….and anyone else we try to line up against God. Hollywood stars, no problem….Political figures, forget about it….Military leaders, please. None of these are able to claim the title of almighty God or Lover and Savior of our souls.

Why then do we pay so much attention to these "stars"? We give them our awe, respect, and praises. Then we so often take what God has done, is doing, and will do for granted…at least until we get in a bind and try to use God as a "spare tire". Imagine for a moment that you were invited (undeservedly) to a party by Tom Brady, Bill Clinton, or Julia Roberts…do we think they would appreciate us making a total mess of their events? How much would they appreciate it if we waited to ask for help when things got way out of hand? Why then do we treat God this way? Don't get me wrong here…we certainly can (and should) ask for God's help when we are in trouble. What I am trying to say is that we often give more respect and obedience to people than we do to the Creator of the universe. We fear the temporary that is right in front of us (Psalm 27:1; Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 51:7; Luke 12:4-7) instead of respectfully fearing almighty God (Proverbs 1:7, 1:33, 9:10, 10:27, 14:16, 14:26, 19:23, 31:30…there are many more). Talk about having things upside-down.

Let's give almighty God the respect, awe, and adoration that He deserves. Scratch that, we cannot ever give God enough of these qualities as He deserves…but that doesn't mean that we can't try our darnedest to do just that. That doesn't mean that we can't appreciate the gifts God has given people to use here on Earth….let's just don't forget who the Greatest really is.