Pinpointed Focus

Psalm 119:113-120

Verse 113  I hate double-minded people, but I love Your law.

    Abiding in the Word brings changes in how we think and act.  It also brings us perspective.  The psalmist has a pretty strong stance on double-minded people.  We may not think about this issue very often, but it is a vital piece of our discussion on abiding.

    I think most people would agree that being double-minded is a negative trait and yet can we admit to ourselves just how easy it is to let ourselves slip into being that way?  When was the last time we found ourselves in a situation with two things going on at the same times and being unable to decide which one to do?  Sometimes we get involved in so many different things that we find ourselves being torn.  This is one way we stunt our growth.

    There are vine-like plants that become quite a problem for farmers and landscapers because they crawl and put down roots in multiple places.  They are hard to get rid of and can take over a place if left unchecked.  One noticeable thing about these vines are that they never get taller on their own.  They can spread themselves wider and wider, but only by attaching themselves to trees, homes or poles will they go higher.  They are so busy going places that they don’t set down deep roots.

    The same can be said of our schedules sometimes, even our spiritual schedules.  We lose focus and try to do so many things and in chasing after so many things we loves our real purpose.  As Christians, God should be our foremost focus.  Abiding in the vine requires knowing that our source of life, abundant life, comes from the vine.  When we are double-minded, we think we find life in multiple things.  This is what the psalmist understood and why he expressed such strong feelings about being double-minded.

    The psalmist seemed to see that when we are double-minded, it is the law, and other things of God, that seem to lose our attention.  Just like a child given the options of hanging out with friends or doing homework, will almost always choose the fun option, we tend to choose things that will gain us the most connection with friends.

    What if we were intentional about being single-minded?  As Christians, a difference would be obvious in our lives if our focus was first and foremost on the Lord and His Word.  It is the point in our Christian walk that we choose to be single-minded for Christ that we come to the moment of full surrender to His lordship in our lives.  This is when we begin to flourish and bring much glory to God and His name.

Making It Personal

    Taking an honest look at your life, how double-minded are you?  What do you focus on more than God and His Word?  What choices need to be made to make you single-minded?

Making It Personal Kids

    How easy is it to look at two things at opposite sides of the room at the same time?  If you want to look at something, do you look towards it or away from it?  How important is focusing on Jesus to you?

Closing Prayer

    Father, You alone deserve all our focus.  May we learn that looking towards You allows all other things in our lives to fall into their proper spots.  In Jesus’ name, amen.