Hard Focus

There are pictures made that are referred to as "magic eye" pictures where you have to stare intently to see the hidden image that lies beneath what is obvious. It requires a hard focus and a realization that there is something else there to be discovered.

That can be true of ministry and a Christian lifestyle as well. It is easy to get caught up in the details that jump to the forefront and miss out on the big picture. We can become consumed with the small details of personal struggles, ministry heartbreak, difficult family relationships, and life disappointments and miss out on the grand scheme of God and the working of His will and plan. We can become distracted by the gossip of weak-minded and selfish people, the fear that people feel of change and their loss of position, the never-ending race to maintain your social status, the pursuit of immediate gratification, and the lies that satan whispers that wreck our futures.

When we take a step back and see God's eternal message of grace, mercy, redemption, and hope it changes our perspective. It leads us to a position of repentance and a grander understanding of how we fit into the work that God is orchestrating as part of His unique blueprint for reaching the world and altering all of our lives for the better.

Sometimes what we need to do is take a hard focus as it is influenced by prayer, the Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and allow God to show us the bigger picture of our lives.