A Fresh Focus

 Have you ever noticed that when you are looking intently at something, people tend to stop and look, even though they don’t know what they are looking at? Yesterday there was a large bird perched on a high branch near our house and I had my binoculars out trying to decide if it was an eagle or osprey. Several passersby noted my focus and looked in the same direction. After looking at it for so long and trying to focus, my eyes got worn out and began to glaze over. I had to stop and focus on something else so they could rest.

Perhaps the COVID 19 pandemic has your focus. You can't quite understand or determine what is happening from one day to the next and your gaze into an unknown future has you and your family a little on edge. The kids might be trying to see what you are looking at and since you can’t even identify it, everyone becomes anxious. All the questions of what is to come of the economy, the health of our loved ones and more, can be a lot. Maybe it's time to stop staring at it and look at something we know.

In the first century, Paul was dealing with people who often stared at what they didn’t understand and became confused about how they were to follow the way of Jesus. There was a long heritage of wandering and a longer list of rules that identified them. They lived in a time of heinous religious persecution, fear and mandatory isolation for their protection. Like us, they just didn’t know what to do with all that was happening around them and it had their complete focus until their eyes began to glaze over. In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul states that the fog lifts when we turn to the Lord, receive His freedom from all the fear and "are transformed into His likeness."  That is why we don't lose heart (2 Corinthians 4).  Our focus has to move to the Spirit of God who is using everything we encounter to transform us into His likeness.

Wow! Can you imagine if we all just looked to God long enough for others to begin looking there, too? Soon everyone around us would be trying to see Him! Our families and friends and coworkers would feel less fear and isolation and instead experience the joy of transformation that God desires for us. Everything would change as the Spirit teaches us that there is purpose in the pain and, "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 

Eternal glory sounds like looking at something farther away than the osprey, which will wear us out, but eternal glory isn’t just pearly gates and death isn’t the only way out of this mess. Eternity is yesterday, today and tomorrow and is given so we can live, love, grow, cry, laugh and enjoy one another while experiencing God. In this cycle of eternity, change is inevitable and an intentional part of God’s plan. High tide and low. Sunrise and sunset. Young to old. Change is really normal and not to be feared. It becomes light and momentary when we remember that it is here to transform us into His likeness and is part of God’s plan.

How can you see COVID 19 as light and momentary? Change what you are looking at. We fix our eyes NOT on what is seen, (sickness, quarantine, social isolation, unemployment, loneliness, fear, discouragement – or a large unidentified raptor, because all of that will wear us out), but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17). The unseen things are the constant presence of God’s Spirit reshaping us; His love transforming our hearts and attitudes; His wisdom helping us discern next steps. His strength empowering us to navigate all of this. Transformation will come when we focus on Him.

So, where will you focus? The pandemic or the Potter? The disease or the Divine? The finances or the Friend? The economy or Eternal glory? Your loneliness or your LORD? One will make your eyes glaze over and the other will help you see God. And remember, others will be looking to see what captures your gaze. 

...Inwardly we are being renewed, day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory 

that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen but on what is unseen. 

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 

1 Corinthians 4:16-17