Stay Focused

 "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

God has given you the two things needed to run and win your race in life: time and energy. And you cannot afford to waste them. Why do we have such a hard time saying no? Two of the most common reasons are: fear of rejection and fear of missing out.  

Ultimately, you must ask yourself this question, "Whose approval am I seeking, God's or people's?"  Fear of missing out on good opportunities. We assume that whenever opportunity knocks, we must answer the door and say, "yes," to whatever is standing there. That is a mistake. Opportunity does not equal obligation. There will always be more opportunities than there is time to pursue them. So you must choose your opportunities prayerfully and wisely.

Jim Collins, the author of the book Good to Great , writes: "Most of us lead busy but undisciplined lives. We have ever-expanding 'to do' lists, trying to build momentum by doing, doing, doing. But it rarely works. Those who built the good to great companies made as much use of 'stop doing' lists, as 'to do' lists. They displayed a remarkable discipline to unplug from all sorts of extraneous junk and channel their resources into only one or a few areas."

In his groundbreaking book, Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It , Al Ries adds, "Great leaders, in spite of a multitude of distractions, know how to keep things focused. They know how to inspire and motivate their followers to keep pushing the main chance. They don't let side-issues overwhelm them."

So stay focused!

SoulFood: 2 Chron 7:12-16, Matt 6:5-15