Faith Today - July/August 2016

If we are going to survive in a world that rejects or tries to ignore God, we must stay focused on God and our faith in Him.

I’m referring especially to what occupies our mind, to our thoughts and how they inform our faith. Even subconscious thoughts are important – research has shown how much they shape our conscious thoughts and actions.

Practically, this means the messages we take in every day are important. They are the fuel that feeds our subconscious.

Of course God is also at work in us, and I believe any good within us and evident in our actions have got to be credited to God.

Here are five practices that have helped me stay focused on God.

1 Psalm 46: 10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” Take the time to quiet all of the hustle and bustle of your life (and mind). High school students, college students, professionals with careers and everyone in between can benefit from this quiet. When we give too much power to all the tasks we may have in our lives, or all the negative thoughts that we may have about ourselves and our stress, we diminish our focus on God. Taking five minutes out of our day to acknowledge this goes a very long way. It has helped me a lot.

I try to do all of my acknowledgements at 3:00 p.m. every day (the time Jesus Christ died on the cross).

Isaiah 30: 15 says, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’ ” There is a parallel message in these two passages in the Old Testament. Be still, quiet yourself and trust in God. This is spiritual food for the hungry soul. Try these steps and document or journal your experience. Reflect and repeat.

2 Acknowledge our suffering and rejoice in it. My favourite way to understand this in Scripture is the writings of Peter. Take a moment and read through the books of Peter while working through this five-step workout for staying focused on God.

Romans 5: 3-4 reminds us to “rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope.”
We are tested in the fire. The measuring
stick for our faith and spiritual strength is
adversity and suffering. I ask myself this
simple question: Is there any amount of
suffering that is greater than God? The
answer for me is no. I know that God has
conquered sin. Reflecting on the nature
of suffering may help you realize that
enduring all things will cause you to bear
fruit.

3 Follow your own advice: Just as I am writing this article right now, you may also be giving advice to Christians and others. I try to remind myself to follow my own advice, especially when I need it most. When we offer advice in love and gentleness, the Spirit is moving us. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, or explain things in various ways to get the same result. Follow a piece of godly advice you have given someone else.

4 Give all glory to God, in all things, for all things, and at all times. This is by far the most important step. But for me – and many others – it is the most difficult. The complete story in the Bible is one of salvation and the plan afterwards. All of this is meant to glorify God. God seeks to be worshipped, to be the only one true God that you believe in and to be the one you love before yourself or others.

5 Maximize your time with other Christians. Do not undervalue the importance of being surrounded by people walking in the light the same as you are. It is the light of Christ that shines from all of us that gives hope and peace to the world. Reflect on Paul writing to the churches. Think of how he rejoiced and was strengthened by their faith. Iron sharpens iron. We are all stronger for being with each other. We all shine at various degrees of brightness – so don’t feel bad for being dim sometimes.

As I write this article I have prayed and reflected. I feel that my light is shining brightly. But come to me in a week, and you might see me flipping through the pages of Love Is Moving or Faith Today seeking to have my spiritual self recharged. I look toward my peers and my fellow Christians. We shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek help.

Feel free to modify this plan or completely create your own. The most important thing to know is that there are many ways to stay focused on God. Remember that every relationship with God is unique in its own way.