Read: Hebrews 12:1–2   What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

It is easy to forget your life aims along the way. What are the most important things in life? Who are the most important people in your life? What are the most important tasks in your life? These are important questions that should remain clear in our consciousness every day. However, the speed of life and the many distractions along the way, the fragmented nature of modern life—all contribute to a dissolution of noble aims and life’s most important aspects.

The first challenge is to get on to the right race. The ancients thought of life as a journey—perilous and yet something that must be done to find meaning and our true selves. When we find the true journey, we are then on our way to our true home—in God.

What are the most important tasks in your life?

The modern life for many is a life of addiction to joy rides. Adults behave like the toddler with a short attention span, busily moving from one thrill to another. But this is the perfect way to live uncoordinated distracted lives, where one hurries from one ride to another, but never sets foot on a real journey of the soul.

To keep focus, you must make your life into a journey, or rather make the journey into your life. We are each invited to a journey.

Jesus, when He met people busy with the concerns of their lives, invited them to think, reflect and make decisions. His repeated call to His disciples—”Follow me”—was an invitation to break free from their short-circuited lives of addiction and to embark on the journey with Him. When we do so, we discover the footsteps of one who travels with us on the journey, and who guides us along the way.

That is why the Bible talks about the importance of keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and the Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). As He is the beginning and the end of this journey, and the perfect Guide, He is to be the focus of our attention.

We must think of God and our relationship to Him.

But the distractions along the way are many and it is easy to lose focus or to forget the reason for the race or journey. When we lose the focus of our journey, we face same situation. When we keep being distracted by lesser things, the central areas of our lives remain unattended to, neglected and in a dilapidated condition. And when we realise too late that we have neglected these areas, we have only regret as our companion.

To avoid such regret and disappointment, we have to pay attention to the voice of our soul. We have to pay attention to the invisible things in life, which are often neglected. We must think of God and our relationship to Him. We must direct our steps according to what He has shown or revealed, and we need to give heed to His voice.

In order to do this, we must spend enough time regularly reflecting. The voice of God is found in His revealed word—the Bible—and as we read it regularly, we can then become familiar with that voice. The voice will correct us, challenge us, comfort us, encourage us and transform our journey.

Here are some things you can do:

  • Determine for yourself what is worth dying for. That is likely to be what is worth living for.
  • Organise your life according to this central concern of your life.
  • Keep this as the central focus of your life by checking regularly. Every time it gets out of focus, refocus your life.
  • Take regular time off to find solitude and silence so that you can examine your life carefully, and make the necessary adjustments.

When you do this, you have a better chance of making sure that you don’t burn up what is precious in pursuing that which is not as important. There are many who make this serious mistake, throwing away what is precious for something that will end up as rust and dust. Don’t be one of them. Be different. Let your life embark on a real journey. Give up the joy rides that go nowhere.

 

Consider this:

Think about the suggestions given above and how you might apply them to your life. What concrete steps can you take to ensure that you do not lose focus on Jesus?

 

Excerpt and adapted from The Race: Finding the Real Journey in Life by Robert M. Solomon. © 2008 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Armour Publishing. All rights reserved.

 

Related Resources:

Biblical Meditation: Developing a Heart for God.. Experience God’s peace, empowered prayer, and spiritual growth as you reflect on His goodness from the pages of the Bible. Gain wisdom and a deeper connection with God through rehearsing Scripture daily. Find out more here.