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.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 7, 12, and 16, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. I also recently released a teen devotional called Anchored, designed to help teens learn key biblical narratives and apply them to their lives. You can find these books here or read more below. 
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
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 for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
These Books Are Free on Kindle Unlimited: God Wants to Heal, Restore, and Refresh You
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. He also wants to help you establish a rhythm of meeting with him daily as you trust him with the hard parts of your life. Click here to explore two books that will guide you: Be Still and Trust and Lean Into Grace. They are free on the Kindle Unlimited program and for sale in print.
Download Your Free Devotional Here
Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE or for a donation of 3.99 here. Thank you. This small gift helps keep this ministry running.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
