“Always remember, your focus determines your reality” -George Lucas

Today, I want to talk about focusing in on our goals, vision, and what God has assigned to us this year. But first, let’s talk about distractions. They are everywhere, they are constant, and they will prevent you from achieving whatever it is you may want to do. So, let’s cut out distractions in 2019. If it means a break from social media, do it. If it means turning off your phone, hold that power button down. If it means distancing yourself from certain people or environments, stay home. We all actively participate in our distractions in some form or another, so really, we determine how much we let them pull us away. Meaning, we must be intentional about avoiding distractions. So, take a moment or two to consider what your biggest distractions are and how you can minimize them.

There are many things that will cause us to lose focus, but today I want to talk about two of my biggest challenges I often face. I pray that even if these aren’t specific challenges you encounter, there is something here that resonates with you…

Consider the Cost

 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ Luke 14:28-30 (NIV)

There is a cost to achieving your goals. The cost depends on the magnitude of the goal. You will have to sacrifice some things – time, money, activities, etc., and it will not feel good at times. When you can comprehend that some things will have to be eliminated or diminished in order for you to be successful, you are less likely to throw in the towel later. If your focus shifts from the benefits of advancing to the costs of advancing, you will be more likely to give up.

Spiritually speaking, there is always a cost to following God. If you’re aspiring to be a true disciple (as He was addressing in the above verses), the cost will be even greater. Understand that you will have to give up some things that you really, really enjoy in order to fulfill His purpose for you. You will most likely experience hurt, you may lose those close to you, and you will be stretched to very uncomfortable positions. BUT the reward outweighs the sacrifice by unthinkable leaps and bounds. If you remain focused on God’s goodness and promises, it will be much easier to endure the hardships when they come.

Don’t Look Back

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (AMP)

Do you have gaffes from your past that still make you cringe? If you’re anything like me, you have moments where you replay mistakes you made 20 years ago, and your heart drops just thinking about it. Please understand that the only purpose those moments serve is to disrupt our progress. I have an embarrassing event from my teenage years that makes me want to crawl under a rock. It pops up in my mind on replay quite frequently. I used to dwell on it, and sometimes even cry over it. But then I realized what was happening- that specific moment directly relates to where God is taking me, and fear is the tool being used to stop me. The enemy keeps track of your mistakes and knows when to strategically use them to throw you off.

Further, I’ve realized is that we can’t always prevent some of our most cringe-worthy mistakes from popping back into our minds, but we can prevent them from disrupting our focus. It’s incredibly cliché, but we all make mistakes. Mistakes can be good things – they prompt us to grow and expand our wisdom. But dwelling on them doesn’t absolutely nothing for us. Forget “what lies behind” and move forward focus “what lies ahead.”

This concept applies to anything and everything, spiritual and natural, private and public. But what about the kind of prize Paul was talking about in the above Scripture? As Christians, the ultimate focus of our lives should be to love God and to live in such a way that grants us access to the end reward – eternal life in heaven. Focusing on personal goals, career promotions, calls to ministry, and all else is fruitless unless you first focus on God, His Word, and answering His call over your life.

So if, like me, you sometimes struggle letting to of your past mistakes, remember that God Himself has already moved on. He has forgotten about even your worst sins (have you repented?), so there is no need or benefit to continue allowing your past to disrupt your focus.

Food for Thought: Have you thought about the sacrifices you will have to make to achieve your goals and/or step into your calling? Are you willing to give up the things that are roadblocks? Do you struggle with dwelling on past mistakes? You’re not alone. But all you can do now is learn what you need to learn from it, repent for your sins, and pray for the ability to move forward. Above all, recall that the Lord Almighty loves you regardless your worst faults and is still calling you closer regardless of what you have done. Stay focused!