What is the focus of your life? Career, a family, retirement…depending on what stage of life you are currently in will determine your main focus. But are you a Christian? If so, what is truly your main focus and is it what it should be? John Piper wrote in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, “He is pushing us to see our lives with a single focus, and for the cross of Christ to be that focus.” John is writing about Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul is saying that the priority, the focus, of his ministry is to know Christ and Christ on the cross. What would our lives look like if Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us, was our singular focus each day—all day—everyday?

I recently went to the eye doctor for an exam. I was concerned because I felt like I am struggling more to see at night. The doctor had me look through the machine that holds all the different lenses and then he began the familiar questions, can you see better with 1 or 2? Which is better, 3 or 4? How about 5 or 6? As I sat there trying to make sure I answered correctly and didn’t cause him to misdiagnose me, I held my focus on the letters of that chart and concentrated. Where did I see better? 1 or 2? 3 or 4? 5 or 6? Sometimes, the answer was very obvious, and the change made the letters jump off the page with clarity. Other times, the differences were so small, I struggled with my answer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our eyes and our hearts could see the difference as clearly, between what we seek and what God’s will is? How would our vision be, looking through the lenses of God’s eyes, instead of the eyes of this world?

Our singular focus, the lens we should see life with clarity through, is the lens of obedience and dependance. We cannot go through life, seeking our own desires, chasing our lusts and still claim to be a Christian. That is a false doctrine! The God of the universe, who formed the planets—who named the stars, did not create you so that you can live your life, to seek your own happiness. He created you for relationship with Him, and that through your life and that relationship, your life would bring more glory to Him. But because we are a fallen, broken people, God’s righteousness demanded our punishment. That is when Christ stepped in and took the punishment that our sins require—and His blood that was shed on the cross, covers the multitude of our sins.

Everything around us is directly affected by our viewpoint and our focus. How we spend our time, affects our hearts, minds, souls, families, and communities. It is a struggle; when sin entered this world, it robbed us of the perfection that God intended for us. We must fight to keep our minds focused on the cross and what Christ’s sacrifice did for us. Understanding the enormity of that moment in time, choosing to live with a spirit of obedience and dependence, giving up our own willful nature—will shift our focus from what we want and help us to see what God wants. That is where we will find true freedom and happiness—even though we live in this fallen world. As I told the children in Sunday School last week, build your house on the rock—the foundation of Jesus Christ, and no matter what storms rise up, you will not be swept away.