Staying Focused

Greetings in the Name of our Lord,

The story is told of a man who heard that a house in his neighborhood was on fire. Word had begun to spread around his work that a raging fire had engulfed a house in the area in which he lived. Not realizing that it was his own house, he called home to check on his wife and find out which house in the neighborhood was burning.

When a man answered the phone, he asked, “May I speak to Kathy?” 

“No,” the man said. “She’s outside right now.” 

He said, “Oh. I was just wondering: do you know whose house in the neighborhood is on fire?” 

“Yes, I do,” he said, “this one.” 

The man didn’t realize he was talking to a firefighter on the job. Apparently, the firefighter decided to take a break from the blaze to receive the call. Odd, right? - That a firefighter would answer the phone in the midst of a raging fire? (I am sure no firefighter would answer the phone while fighting a fire. It is probably just a story to make a point.) 

Here is the point… We're like that firefighter. We are often tempted to focus on the secondary issues in the face of more urgent matters. We all face this struggle at one time or another – the choice between the interruptions and the important.  There is a job to do – a fire to extinguish, so to speak. 

At the same time there are noisy distractions behind us, demanding our attention. Do we tend to them, or do we stay on target? Those most successful in life are those who stay focused. 

As we continue our journey through Lent to Easter, let’s put the distractions aside and focus on the important. Where is God leading us? What does God have for us to do? In what ways can we honor God in our actions? 

May we worship and serve God with such focus that nothing will distract us from putting God first. As we do, may the fire of the Holy Spirit burn within our souls as we worship God. 

The apostle Paul said…

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 NASV) 

See you Sunday! Invite someone to worship! They will be glad you did. 

Pastor John Allen