Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” with the point being that we should live with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
This is the main scripture we will be looking at this year.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
For a few days now, we have been looking at Ephesians 2:10. This is one of my favorite verses. Let’s go back to it today.
(Ephesians 2:10 ERV)
God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
Setting the Stage:
Have you ever heard the story of the time when a military leader told his troops to “burn the boats”? This story is popularly associated with Hernán Cortés, and some attribute it to Alexander the Great. It encapsulates a decisive moment of “cutting off” all possibilities of turning back, a concept mirrored in the Latin root of the word “decide,” which means to cut away from. This metaphor and word study helped me make the point I want to make today: the power and discipline you can tap into when you make an irreversible commitment to a chosen path.
This metaphorical ‘burning’ and ‘cutting away’ beautifully aligns with Proverbs 4:25 and Ephesians 2:10. Proverbs instructs us to set our gaze firmly ahead, ignoring all distractions that urge us to look sideways or backward, while Ephesians reminds us that we are created for good works, predestined by God Himself. In the spiritual realm, to “burn our boats” is to eliminate any fallback that tempts us away from our divine purpose, and to “decide” is to cut away from every alternative, focusing solely on the path God has laid before us.
By understanding the word “decide” in its most potent form, we commit to a journey from which there is no retreat, no turning back. Our mission, then, becomes a pursuit marked by a singular focus: to move forward in the fulfillment of God’s plan, spurred by the discipline to stay the course, no matter what comes our way.
1. Embracing God’s Predestined Path: The Ultimate Commitment.
— Understand that embracing God’s work for us means making a ‘burn the boats’ decision, cutting off any path that leads away from our divine destiny, as outlined in Ephesians 2:10.
— Recognize laziness as the enemy’s attempt to anchor our boats to the shore of complacency; burning these boats signifies our resolve to engage fully in the tasks God has assigned us.
— Actively seeking and stepping into our God-ordained roles requires the courage to ‘burn the boats’ in our minds and hearts, ensuring there is no fallback plan, only God’s plan. When you truly live by faith, there is no PLAN B.
— When you ‘burn the boats’ in your heart and mind, and you ‘cut away’ every alternative but God’s plan, you are left with no option but to do what God called you to do and to do it with all your might!
— Walking with God, there will be times when you feel like you are part of a family. He is your Father, you have brothers and sisters, and you get to enjoy the fellowship. Other times, you will feel like you are part of an organization. You have a role and others to play. You all come together to fulfill your role. But then there will be times when you feel like you are part of God’s Army and you are in a battle. During those times, you must have a Warrior Spirit, and this is where “burning the boats” and “cutting away all alternatives” comes in. When you are in a faith fight, it’s not the same as hanging out with your family. It takes discipline, determination, and the will to win, to push through all challenges, and to press forward into God’s plan!
— When you see your labor in God’s Kingdom as a war cry, a declaration that we are here not just to fight but to win (for the Lord and His glory), you live with uncommon determination.
— Celebrate every act of obedience as a territory conquered, knowing that with every step taken in God’s will, we advance further into our divine destiny, leaving no room for retreat. Forward ever, backward never, the best is yet to come!
2. Cutting Off Distractions: The Discipline of Decision.
— The word “decide” has a Latin root, meaning to cut away. When you decide, you are to cut away all alternatives. You are not giving yourself the option to do anything else because if you do, then as a human, you will more than likely choose the path of least resistance.
— When I served in the Army, I used to invite people to church, and some would respond, saying they would “try” to make it. Whenever I heard that response, I would ask them if they were going to “try” to make it to PT (physical training) in the morning. They would look at me strangely and say, “No, I’m just going to be there.” That’s because, in their minds, they had cut away all alternatives and committed to being at PT no matter what happened the night before or how little sleep they got. They knew they had to be there at 6:30 AM, and their body would show up at that time because they had already cut away all alternatives in their mind. They had the discipline to do it because they eliminated any other options.
My point is that if you give yourself an alternative, you will likely choose that alternative from time to time. If you want to live a disciplined life, you must cut away the alternatives that you do not want and do not even consider them as an option in your heart and mind. If they are an option, you will press that option button from time to time, and you will fail to have the discipline that you desire.
— A focused pursuit of our divine assignment means decisively ‘cutting off’ anything that doesn’t align with the good works God has prepared for us.
— Establish goals that reflect God’s vision for our lives, serving as our battle plans, and approach them with the determination that comes from knowing retreat is not an option.
— Overcome procrastination by embracing immediate obedience as our tactical advantage, moving swiftly and decisively every time you sense the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If you think about it too long, you are going to give yourself the license to disobey. But if you are quick to obey, you will develop discipline through habits of faith, obedience, and refusing to even consider anything else! This is how you ignore life’s distractions (see Prov 4:25).
3. No Turning Back: The Determination to Conquer.
— Let the clarity of our mission, rooted in the knowledge of God’s plan for us, fuel our determination to press on without the option of turning back. Said another way, the more clearly you see God’s vision, the stronger the pull you will feel to move forward into it despite challenges or distractions.
— Approach every challenge with the tenacity of a Soldier who knows their survival and victory depend on moving forward, inspired by the ‘burn the boats’ mentality.
— I will use Today’s Word as an example. I have been writing Today’s Word for every 26 years. I have the discipline to get up every morning and do this because I have never given myself the option not to. In my heart and mind, I have burned the boats. I have decided. I have cut away all alternatives. Because as a human, if I ever gave myself the o[option of staying in bed, then chances are that from time to time, I would.
— You can overcome physical and spiritual laziness by making a decision, in my heart and mind, that quitting is not an option. When you commit to doing God’s will, and that commitment is firm, nothing will stop you, not even yourself!
— Aim to finish strong, inspired by the knowledge that we’ve left ourselves no option but to succeed, driven by the determination to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I declare that I am living with a laser focus on Your fixed purpose for my life.
I declare my commitment to the path You have set before me, cutting off all avenues of retreat.
I renounce laziness and distractions, dedicating myself fully to the good works You’ve prepared for me.
I embrace Your calling with zeal, burning away any boats of complacency, to serve You with fervor and discipline.
I vow to focus solely on Your divine assignments, letting my actions reflect my unwavering commitment to Your will.
I seek Your strength to overcome procrastination, engaging in immediate obedience to Your commands.
I am determined to press on, inspired by the clarity of Your vision for my life, without any option of turning back.
GREATER IS COMING for me because I am determined to walk out the destiny You planned for me before the world began.
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. AMEN!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
