Fixing Your Focus - Christian Motivation

As you mature in Christ, as you grow and develop in your knowledge of God, the Holy Spirit will work within you to broaden your horizons and shift your perspective. Second Timothy chapter 2, verse 21 says, Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So the experiences that I go through, the hardships, the difficulties, the testings, the trials, the sorrows, they're all a part of God's necessary preparation. As he is seeking to prepare the vessel to be used by the master, as he empties me of myself, that he might fill me with his fullness, that I no longer live from my own glory, but I live now for his glory, that I serve him in such a way that it brings glory to him. This is why the Bible says in Matthew chapter 5, verse 16, Let your light so shine before men that when they see your good works, they glorify your Father, which is in heaven. As you experience the love of Jesus Christ, as you experience a deep and rewarding relationship, perspective, what is your perspective as a believer in Christ? I ask this question because at some point in your walk with the Lord, as you know him more and more, you have to shift your perspective from, God, take me here, take me over there, to, Lord, I thank you for how far you've brought me. I thank you because I am no longer where I used to be. Perspective. Your perspective goes from always asking and always seeking to receive from God. And it shifts to you, always seeking to serve him. Your prayer becomes, Lord, how can I serve you? Lord, make me a vessel for your use. We can never repay the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us on the cross. We could never find the appropriate words to fully express how thankful we are for his amazing grace, for his everlasting mercy and providence. Now, it is my belief that all we can offer to the Lord as a sign of gratitude is our lives. All we can offer Jesus Christ is ourselves. We cannot repay him. We cannot compensate the Lord or do anything to equal his sacrifice. But I tell you, the least we can do is serve him. The least we can do is to become a servant of the Lord. Focus on Jesus. And the thing is, if your eyes are focused anywhere else other than on Jesus Christ, then it's all negative. Everything will be bleak. Because you can look within yourself for strength. You can look within yourself for motivation or happiness, but in reality, on your own strength, you won't last very long. Sooner or later, life will bring something before you that requires a higher power than you. If you want to feel defeated, then of course, just look at your past. The devil will tell you that no one who comes from a background like yours can ever amount to anything. He'll tell you that God won't ever use someone with a history like yours. But this is why you should have your eyes fixed on Jesus. He doesn't care what your past is. In fact, he will use your past. He will turn your life around and demonstrate that he can take you from the lowest of the low and use you for his glory. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus because if you stray and wander, if you begin to look at what's around you instead of looking at Jesus Christ, then you will get distracted. You will become preoccupied with things, with situations, and with events that don't even matter. Things that are of this world instead of those things that are eternal. Furthermore, I want you to know that if you want to be dismayed, if you want to be left feeling hopeless, then just try to look ahead. Try looking to the future on your own because the thing about the future is that it's unknown. It's unknown to all of us. We don't know what awaits our tomorrow, so if you focus on this, you will be dismayed. And here's my point. When you focus on anything else other than Jesus Christ, you'll be left in a state of worry and dismay because everything is uncertain. But dear friend, when it comes to your past, keep your eyes on Jesus Christ. When it comes to your weakness, keep your eyes on Jesus. And when it comes to your future, keep your eyes. Keep them fixed on Jesus in every single aspect of your life. Don't dare focus on what's around you. Don't focus on what's within you or even what's ahead of you. Simply focus on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. What or who in this world could save your soul? Who could redeem and deliver your soul from the clutches of hell? Only Jesus Christ. And so if Jesus Christ is the only one who could save your soul, is he not the most valuable treasure in our hearts? Do you have Christ in your heart? Do you have the Prince of Peace in your life? Do you walk alongside the one who walks on water? If you have Jesus Christ in your life and in your heart, you are privileged. You are blessed and highly favored because make no mistake. It's to our advantage that we should go to Christ. We're the ones that need saving. We're the ones that need to be redeemed, not him. It's to our benefit that we should go to Christ. And the beauty of this deal is that Jesus Christ made a promise in Hebrews 13, verse 5. The Bible says, Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have. For he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. In case you didn't know, you can have money, but it will not save you. Money will not buy you eternal life. It won't buy you another minute here on earth. But if you have Jesus Christ, you have eternity in heaven to look forward to. Nothing on this earth can promise never to leave you nor forsake you. But Jesus can. He has promised to be with you until the end of the age. So today, even if you were to lose everything you own, you would still be blessed beyond measure. Because of that great promise. You see, I would rather have Jesus than silver or gold, because Jesus Christ loved me while I was yet still a sinner. He loved me despite of my sin, regardless of my mistakes. And he's undeterred by my many flaws. That is grace.