This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing to walk through the parable of the sower. Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
We have been dealing with the thorny ground for days. These are people who receive the Word of God, but their lives become “full of other things”. These “other things” wind up choking-out the Word. Yesterday I shared a message entitled, “Simplify your life”, where I was discussing getting rid of the “other things”, so your life can be about God, His Word, His will, and His ways. Today’s message will flow in the same vein as I discussing decluttering your heart and mind.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things.
1. Just because you can do something, it does not mean you should give it access to your heart and mind.
a) The Apostle Paul said, “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Cor 6:12). If you allow yourself the “license” to consider something as a possibility for you, then it can wind up taking up valuable “cycles” in your heart and mind. Said another way, if you give a distraction your attention for 5 seconds, it can have your heart for 5 minutes. Even more dangerous, it you give a distraction your focus for any length of time, it is robbing you of your focus on the things God wants you focused on.
b) People with vision know what they are called to do and they live their lives with laser-focus on things that align with their divine purpose.
c) People with vision are people postured to live a disciplined life. Their God-given vision constrains them and keeps them focused on their divine purpose. They don’t do lots of things. They only do what they believe they are called to do.
2. When you are singularly focused on your divine purpose you are able to declutter your heart and mind.
a) The problem with the thorny ground people, as Jesus describes it, is that they have too much stuff going on in their hearts and minds. While the Word is trying to work, their lives are “full of other things”. These “other things” compete with and eventually overtake the Word.
b) I have maintained a busy schedule for the last 20 years. I always have more task than time. I never stop working because I don’t have any work to do. I always stop working because I choose to stop working and ‘pick it up’ the next day. However, I purposely make time in my schedule to hear from God. I do this throughout the week and I block out entire weeks for this when I am on vacation. During this time I give myself the license to release every project, every major task, and every nagging thought from my mind. It is during these times — when I am free to simply rest, dream, and enjoy God’s goodness — that I often hear God the clearest and that His Word does the most work in my life. You have to make time to rid yourself of every distractor, to clear your heart and mind of all the clutter, and to slow down long enough to hear God. When you do, you will find His Word working in your life.
c) If you are too busy to give yourself at least 10 minutes a day to clear your heart and spend quality time with God, then you are simply too busy.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by decluttering my heart and mind. There were times in my life when I was consumed by “other things”. Those days are over. I make time to clear my heart and mind to be able to hear from You, and to allow Your Word to work in my life. I meditate and medicate on Your Word day and night. I rest in You and in Your promises. I release all the stress, struggle and strain of this world. I give myself the license to dream, to meditate, to rest, and to focus on You and Your divine purpose for my life. As I enter this day, I also enter into Your rest. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
