How to Focus on Jesus Instead of Focusing on Your Problems
The seasons are changing in our part of the world. I watch from my window, where I’m lost in stacks of first-grade homework, bills, and messy reminders about the reality of my actual life. I want to focus on Jesus this morning, but I can’t clear my head in the middle of the mess.
You probably know a thing or two about messes.
You want to live by faith and focus on Jesus throughout your days, but the chaos of your life pulls you away.
How to Focus on Jesus
I want to learn to keep my eyes on Jesus, but sometimes, it doesn’t feel practical.
Here’s what I’m learning:
I fix my eyes on Jesus when I speak his Word in the middle of the chaos.
I focus on Jesus every time I stop what I’m doing and glance in his direction.
And I turn toward him whenever I remind myself to focus on what’s right, not what’s wrong in my life. (You can read more about this right here.)
You’ve probably read about focusing on Jesus by interacting with your Bible and praying. Today, I want to introduce you to a fresh way to focus on him. We will explore how to focus on Jesus by focusing on the good in our lives.
Every day of my life I face this choice: Look for what's right in my life or keep my eyes fixed on everything that is lacking. #positiveoutlook #focusonGod #encounteringGod Share on XFocus on Jesus by Focusing on the Good in Your Life
I can focus on Jesus by fixing my eyes on what is right in my life instead of focusing on what is wrong.
Here’s what I mean: I can complain that it’s not warm enough for swimming in creeks, or I can give thanks for the beauty of leaves changing color and geese overhead. I can focus on the long months that will soon keep me bound inside the house, or I can embrace the flow of seasonal changes.
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul writes, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Scripture tells us to focus on what is right and good. By focusing on the good, we lift our eyes toward Jesus. Here are several areas in which we can all be more intentional about our focus.
1. Focus on Jesus by embracing the blessings in your home.
None of us live in perfect homes. Our kids fight. Our husbands leave stinky socks on the floor. Some of us are lonely as we eat dinner in front of our televisions and think about the dreams God has not fulfilled.
We hurry from one place to the next, and we rarely take time to tend to our souls.
I encourage you to take one small step to turn your home into a sanctuary for meeting with Jesus.
Buy a fragrant candle.
Hang a new picture on the wall.
Create a prayer corner.
Stop in your tracks, look around your home, and find a reason to give thanks.
Cultivating serenity within our homes reminds us to thank God for the roofs over our heads. It also creates space to connect with Jesus as we learn to appreciate the goodness of his provision in new ways.
2. Focus on Jesus by naming the blessings in your workplace.
You probably know how it feels to turn off the alarm and pray you don’t have to go to work.
Consider how different your job might become if you learned to focus on what is right in your workplace.
Learn to give thanks for kind coworkers and clients. Cultivate relationships with a mission mindset.
Remember, you are joining God on mission in this assignment. It might not feel noble. But it is his high calling for you.
Are you embracing it? Ask him to help you embrace it with open arms.
3. Look for the good in your friendships.
When I focus on what is right in my friendships, I’m grateful for women who have walked alongside me through the valleys and cheered me along over mountaintops.
Looking at the good in relationships reminds me to extend grace, hold shortcomings loosely, and believe the best about my friends when conflict arises.
4. Refuse to complain about your surroundings.
Staring out the window, I consider the struggle we’ve had with our current home and the longing to move to a cabin somewhere in the woods.
Our neighborhood is constantly changing, and one construction project after another leaves our backyard anything but quiet. It’s easy to focus on what’s wrong with our situation and squirm to change it.
A hawk screeches high above the poplar tree by the deck, and I resolve to fix my eyes on what is right about this moment.
Suddenly, the roaring engines of the excavators across the road feel far less intrusive. I couldn’t be more thankful for the waving fields of goldenrod and hawks circling above.
I feel lighter as I stand to leave the window. Like perhaps, I’ve returned my gaze to Jesus.
A Free Devotional Book to Help You Focus on Jesus
Lastly, I have a gift for you: My 10-day online devotional Fan the Flame. This devotional offers dozens of practical ways to connect with God and hear what he wants to speak to you. Click here, and I will send this devotional directly to your email inbox. 
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Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
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