Stay Focused

The focus of your heart and mind are to always be in front of you, never wandering to the right or the left. Just like the blinders on a horse, you will not be distracted by other things that have the potential of taking you off the right path. You won’t see that attractive lure dangling enticingly off to the side, trying to draw you away from your single-hearted devotion to Christ.

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Transcript

The focus of your heart and mind are to always be in front of you, never wandering to the right or the left. When your focus is fixed on what’s in front of you, just like the blinders on a horse, you will not be distracted by other things that have the potential of taking you off the right path. You won’t see that attractive lure dangling enticingly off to the side, trying to draw you away from your single-hearted devotion to Christ.

Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #182. This week’s Episode encourages us to “Stay Focused!”

Jesus said (Matthew 6:22 NLT), “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.” This is precisely why you are to “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” (Proverbs 4:25 NASB’95) The verb “to look’ refers to paying close attention to something, considering it carefully. In other words, you should pay close attention to what you see, giving a thorough and cautious consideration to the things your eyes are observing, because what you see has a strong influence on what you think, which in turn impacts all you do. 

Solomon goes on to say your eyes are to look “directly ahead.” This means the focus of your heart and mind are to always be in front of you, never wandering to the right or the left. Now please understand that this is speaking figuratively, not literally. God isn’t saying it’s wrong for your physical eyes to literally look left or right. If that were so, I doubt He would have created us with the ability to look around. So, what is He saying?

The answer is found in the words God spoke to Joshua (Joshua 1:7 ESV). “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law .... Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” In this verse, God uses the phrase, “do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left” to communicate the critical importance of staying spiritually focused, faithful, and true to God’s Word. Don’t allow yourself to deviate from it. God says in Deuteronomy 28:14 “Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.” (NIV’84) Again, God’s will for us is very clear. “Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.” (Joshua 23:6 NASB’95)

Consider Proverbs 4:25 in light of what you just read. “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” Your focus, your devotion, all that you think about, is to be centered upon the way and will of God as revealed in the Word of God. When He is the center of your attention, God alone will influence and direct your thinking. Never forget that to glorify God in your everyday living He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking. To glorify Him in your thinking requires you choosing daily to dethrone King Me and let God be the focus of your worship.

I have another thought to share with you regarding the concept of keeping your focus straight ahead of you. When your focus is fixed on what’s in front of you, just like the blinders on a horse, you will not be distracted by other things that have the potential of taking you off the right path. You won’t see that attractive lure dangling enticingly off to the side, trying to draw you away from your single-hearted devotion to Christ.

Deuteronomy 5:32 commands, “You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” (ESV) God is very clear, our spiritual eyes are to look straight ahead at all times. We should cry out daily “My eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord.” (Psalm 141:8 NIV’84) The One who should always be directly in front of us is Jesus.

I find great significance in the fact that Proverbs 4:25 says our eyes are to be looking “directly” or “straight” ahead. In Psalm 27:11 the Psalmist prays, “Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path.” (NIV’84) His prayer is that God would instruct him on the direction of life he should be going (“teach me your way”). That instruction comes as we feed upon the Word of God. Notice also that he asks God to lead him, to guide him, in a “straight path.” The only path God will ever lead you down is always the straight one. His promise is “I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.” (Proverbs 4:11 NLT)

The reason Proverbs 4:25 tells us that our spiritual eyes should always look directly ahead is because that is always where God is. That is always the direction where God will lead you. When your focus is fixed on God, here is what will happen:

(Proverbs 2:6-12) “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.” (Proverbs 2:6-12 NLT)

You might be familiar with the words of Proverbs 3 which commands you to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB’95) Compare that with Proverbs 4:25. Keep your focus on God. He will make sure you are walking the straight path, the path that will always glorify Him. Daily choose to invest time in the Word of God. As you do, God will provide you with His wisdom. He will give you an understanding of what is right, just, and fair. He will show you every good and straight path.

God’s Word will give you discretion and understanding. It will keep you from being drawn away to the left or to the right, which is where you will find a myriad of temptations all seeking to pull you off the straight path God is wanting to take you down. Never lose sight of the fact that “a man of understanding walks straight ahead.” (Proverbs 15:21 ESV) Keep in mind, though, that simply reading God’s Word is not enough. God will show you in His Word the path you are to take; you must choose moment by moment to actually walk it. Paul says that when we decide to walk the path, following the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit from Scripture, that is when we will not give in to our temptations and thus, we will not gratify the sinful desires of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16).

OK, so, not only does what you see have a direct impact upon living a life that glorifies God, but so is what you hear. Scripture is clear that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV) It is also equally as clear that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV’84) This is why it is so vital that you “Pay close attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:24a NLT), because “blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” (Luke 11:28 ESV)

You must daily choose to have a faithful, unwavering, focused commitment to guarding your mind from being attacked through the things you hear. You are to daily “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12 ESV) You are to “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” (Proverbs 2:2 NLT) This is why Solomon urges, “My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding;” (Proverbs 5:1 NASB’95) and again in Proverbs 22:17 he says. “Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction.” (NLT)

Those verbs, “apply”, “tune”, “incline”, and “listen” all indicate a conscious daily effort on your part to be attentive and aware of everything you hear, disciplining yourself to listen only to that which glorifies God. Proverbs 18:15 tells us that “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (ESV)

Consider this: What you choose to listen to plays an important role in living a God-centered life. You should never allow yourself to hear “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5:4) This is why Christ warns us in Mark 4:24 to “Consider carefully what you hear.” The word Christ uses for “consider” refers to focusing your attention on what you are hearing, choosing to carefully weigh every word with an awareness as to how it effects your thinking. Remember, what you hear impacts what you think, and what you think influences what you do. This is why we must always guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23) being ever attentive to what we hear.

Now here’s another thing I want you to understand regarding the verb Jesus uses in Mark 4:24, “to consider.” It is specifically written in the present tense, active voice, and imperative mood. Sound familiar? Every moment of every day you are personally responsible for what you are choosing to listen to. You are personally accountable to God for what you allow your mind to be exposed to. As I said earlier, we are instructed in Philippians 4:8 to fill our thoughts with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Since what you hear has a direct impact on what you think, it stands to reason that the things you hear and listen to ought to be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

So, if a TV show or movie begins to use foul, vulgar, suggestive language that does not promote worship and glorification of God, switch channels or turn it off, or get up and walk out of the room. Not after the fourth time, not after the third time; don’t allow it to go on past the first time. If it happened once, it’s quite likely to happen again. I challenge you to follow a plan that helped me. For the next month keep a journal of everything you watch, read, or listen to. In this journal record what, when, where, how long, and what the content was. After the month is up, sit down with your accountability partner and ask them to review that list with you to scrutinize and evaluate its subtle impacts. Hmmm. Does that concept make you feel anxious or fearful? Does it annoy you? Why? Evaluate your response to this suggestion to see if there are things you are trying to keep hidden.

Here's an important fact I don’t want you to miss. Your eyes and your ears are gateways into your mind. What you allow to enter through either gate will impact your ability to honor, praise, and glorify God with your life. Above all else, you must at all times protect your mind (Proverbs 4:23). This necessitates setting up a vigilant guard over what you see and what you hear. You must guard the gates at all times. (and don’t forget: “all” means all and that’s all “all” means!)

Let’s take another look at Proverbs 4:25. “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” (NASB’95) Consider for a moment the use of the word “fixed.” (“let your gaze be fixed”) To “fix” your gaze means you are locking something down, setting it as in cement. Your eyes should not wander at all. You are to keep your focus straight ahead, always on God. Fix your gaze, lock your attention there. Keep God on the throne of your heart and never wander from Him, no matter what appealing, attractive, enticing lure may be trying to get your attention. Don’t look to the left or to the right. That is not where God is.

Scripture is clear that we are to “make it our goal to please [God].” (2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV’84) I submit: We are able to achieve this goal when we are continuously “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:2 NASB’95) Hebrews 3:1 commands us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. A primary way we fix our eyes on Jesus is when we daily choose to “Fix [God’s] words in [our] hearts and minds.” (Deuteronomy 11:18a NIV’84) We are to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV’84) Everything that goes on in your mind matters to God. So, fix your eyes and ears on Him. Set a guard over your mind by always being ever vigilant about what you allow yourself to see and hear.

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.” (Psalm 123:1-2 ESV)

The slave never knew when his master would beckon him, need his service, or require him to do something. So, he always kept his eyes focused on the master’s hand. The slightest gesture would bring him running. His ears were attentive to the slightest whisper or clearing of the throat, bringing him instantly to his master’s side. If his eyes wandered, or ears focused on other sounds, he would miss the will of his master. In the same way, you and I must be ever diligent to keep our eyes and ears focused on our Savior and Lord. “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them” (Proverbs 20:12 NASB’95), and both should be always focused on seeing and hearing that which glorifies God. 

You and I are here to bring honor and glory to God in everything we say and do. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV) In order to do that, we need to pay attention (with both our eyes and ears) to everything that God is going to show us. To do that, we cannot – we must not – focus our attention anywhere else.

Ezekiel 40:4a says, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you.” (ESV) This is a daily choice we must make. Are you going to be like those Jesus described in Matthew 13:15 whose “heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn ...” (NIV’84). Or will you be like Jesus’ disciples of whom He says in Matthew 13:16, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.” (NASB’95)? The choice is yours. “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15a NLT)

OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin), be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com.

One of these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires?

This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. Again, the title of this book is “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You can find it on Amazon.com or on my website (ThePurityCoach.com) in our Resources section.

So go to our website, ThePurityCoach.com, and check out our resources page, or go directly to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” today.

And if you haven’t subscribed to this podcast yet, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!

So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional MentorTM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.