iGive Up

I've lived most of my life focused on me and those around me. To be honest, my focus has never been wholeheartedly on God until recently. That's weird to say seeing as how I was a born and raised a Pastor's Kid and went to church my entire life. As a matter of fact, as a child, I attended church services on Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon without fail. We got to church early and were always the last to leave. Even when we were not at church, we talked about church. Church was a major focus in my life. Actually, church works and church ministry became my main focus for quite a while in my adult life. Then God called me out. He shut all the doors of the church and said, "its just you and me kid." It was humbling to know there was nothing I could "do" for God and yet it was the best place He could have brought me to.

In my new encounter with God, removed from all my church works, I realized nothing else mattered but being with God, and no one else mattered but God. To some that seems harsh. I can hear the questions already, "No one else matters? Not even your children?" Of course I love my children and I also love my church, but they are not and cannot be my focus, cannot be my God.

When we are focused on people, our focus is not on God. The truth is, someone who is focused on God will end up being a better parent and even a better church-goer in the long run.

The word church doesn't even mean what we think it does. It is not a "service" or "building".  The word church means assembly or gathering. We can have church in my back yard as long as we are gathered in Christ. But this is not a bashing on church. Though church doesn't save us, it is a good practice for us. Gathering together with others who believe to share what we have encountered in God is an extrarordinary boost in our spiritual growth. But if our focus is on church, then church becomes our God. Even church-goers like myself must admit that the traditions of an assembly will not save us. From the fancy churches with the awesome media technology to the simple churches with conservative tradition, it simply will NOT save and if it cannot save, then it should not be our focus.

There are other things that infiltrate our minds and our hearts that often become our focus, like food, clothing, money, and even our own families. Focusing on these gives us a sense of control - as if we could possibly control any of these things in our lives. When something happens in our lives out of our control we become disillusioned and even depressed. We must give it up from being our focus. But how? We must eat, right? We need money. We love our families. Thinking about these things and planning for them is not what I mean to take away. Instead, my point is to stop making them priority over God. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said, ^"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Besides our vying for control will only leave us empty and sometimes even crazy. Been there, done that. We must rely on God and let him lead us. Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

What are some ways we can focus on God? I've asked myself this question and keep coming to simple solutions as written in God's word. 1) Accepting Jesus as LORD over our lives (be born again by baptism and leting Christ lead us in all we do and say); 2) Praising God for what He has done, what He is doing and what He is yet to do. By praising God, we give Him the glory - the credit. It is not us but He who has done great things. This brings about humility, repentance and a letting go of control.

So yeah, go ahead and give it up.  Focus on God.

MORE WORDS FROM JESUS:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.



The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!


No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.


Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?


And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

-found in Matthew 6:19-34