I Cor 9v26 “Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striving without an adversary.” (Amp)
“Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air.” (NIV)
Here and there never makes anything happen. It is staying focused that fulfills destiny
(1 king 20:40).
To focus means to concentrate, look ahead, to give your undivided attention to someone or something. Focus is the key to success and this is why one of the main strategies of the devil in seeking to divert destinies is the spirit of distraction. For any woman seeking to fulfill destiny and maximize her potentials, focus is vital and critical. A woman must understand the place of focus in her life because women have a lot of legitimate things vying for their attention. In order to live a fulfilling, destiny oriented life, (a life that ultimately glorifies God) we need to get this issue of focus right.
1. The first thing you need to understand about focus is that it is an issue of personal responsibility. You are a woman on a mission, the discovery of your mission is what is called vision and abiding in it (your vision) is what is called focus. You must accept and take personal responsibility for your focus as no one can stay focused for you or on your behalf. It is something you must do by yourself and for yourself by God’s Grace making use of His enabling power which He has so richly deposited in you.
2. The number two thing you need to understand about focus is that it is not isolated. For you to be a focused woman there must be something or someone you are focused on. That you give your priority to above all else, you must have an object of focus.
3. To become a focused woman you must start with yourself start with an understanding of who you are and why you are here on planet earth.
(a) Who are you? You are a created being. You were designed and created by someone
(Gen1:26-27).
(b) Why are you here? You are here to fulfill the purpose of He who created you in the first place. (1 Jn 3:8b) “For this purpose (reason) the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (KJV).
Rev 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hath created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (KJV)
Ps 100:3. “Know ye that the Lord He is God, it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” (KJV) Since God made you, you did not make yourself, He is therefore the only one who is qualified to determine your purpose. Therefore you cannot determine your purpose you are only called to discover it.
4. Prov 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (NIV) – Therefore your purpose is permanent. A focused woman therefore is a woman who pursues purpose and fulfills it. Purpose is what gives your life focus or what makes your life focused. If you don’t understand why you are here and what you are supposed to be doing while here, you will involve yourself in every irrelevant thing and at the end your life will lack fulfillment. May that never be your portion in Jesus’ name. As a woman of destiny headed for a definite destination your first object of focus must be your creator and the reason why He created you. “ But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” (Matt 6:33) Amp. We live in a world where many legitimate things are vying for our attention but for you to succeed in life you need to focus on God your creator by giving Him first place in your life. When you give God first place in your life you cannot be displaced. The reasons why you need to give God first place in your life as a focused woman are: –
A. God is your ultimate source so your goal should be to follow Him whole heartedly.
B. God is your helper, without Him there is nothing you can do.
C. God is the determiner of your purpose in life so without Him the purpose of your life can never be realized.
As a focused woman therefore your starting point and ending point is God. See the story of Mary and Martha in Lk 10:38-42. Acts 17v28 “In him we live and move and have our being.”
Apostle Paul was a nuisance till He discovered God and through his discovery of God He encountered (discovered) purpose. See also the stories of Rahab, Ruth, Esther etc.
Isa 50:7 “For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed”. The discovery of your purpose in life is what makes your life focused. You are here on planet earth for a reason and a season. Jer 1:5 “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
When purpose is unknown abuse is inevitable (Myles Munroe). You were made for a mission, discover it and stay with it. Jn 17:4 “I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do” (Msg). Your life is a Divine assignment. A woman of focus understands that she is on a Divine assignment here on planet earth. There is something specific God sent you here to do for Him and until you discover it your life even though outwardly enviable will remain inwardly unfulfilled. But when you discover the reason for your being here at this time your life becomes a bestseller.
A focused woman therefore is a woman who is zeroed on God, serving the purposes of God for her life. According to Matt 6:22 Her eye is single. A focused woman is always forward looking Phil 3:13-14. She forgets her past so that she can embrace her future by making the most of her today.
A focused woman refuses all entreaties to distraction. A focused woman avoids distraction like a plague and fights distraction as hard as she fights the devil. Distractions are usually noisy, the aim is to catch your attention thereby making you to look at them, when you do so you will drown under them. Compare Peter in the book of Matt 14v28-31 to Ruth (Ruth 1-4), Rahab (Josh 2, 6) and Anna the Prophetess (Lk 2:36-38).
Heb 12v1-2 “Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who have borne testimony to the Truth), let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed cause of the race that is set before us. Looking away (from all that will distract) to Jesus, Who is the leader and the Source of our faith (giving the first incentive for our belief) and is also its Finisher (bringing it to maturity and perfection). He for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Amp).
FOCUS BREAKERS
Focus is giving your undivided attention to something. What the devil does is try to break your focus by bringing distractions your way. So you need to recognize the obstacles the devil brings your way as distractions to your fulfilling destiny.
1. Self condemnation – believing that you are too bad for redemption. Plaguing you with past failures. Capitalizing on your past. Refuse to walk in self condemnation because God does not condemn you. (Isa 1v18, Joel 2v25, 1Jn 1v9)
2. Feelings of insecurity and instability, according to James 1:8 results in double mindedness. God is your security and knowledge of his provision for your future will stabilize your life. (2 Corin 5:7, 2 Peter 1:3-4)
3. Inferiority complex, low self esteem. Having feelings inferior to others whom we feel have money, prestige, power, pedigree etc. Not realizing that God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and that you are precious in the sight of God. (Isa 43v4, I Corin 1v27)
4. Offences: – Constitute the bait of satan and manifests as an expression of inward anger towards God and man. (Heb 12:15, Matt18:34-35)
5. Fear: – Fear has torment. Fear of the unknown, present, future. Fear is faith in the devil’s lies and deceit. ( 2 Tim1v7)
6. Wrong association – A woman of focus is very careful about relationships. Never associate with or be friends with someone who lacks focus or you yourself will soon lose focus. Separate yourself from anyone who focuses neither on God nor on God’s purpose i.e. Divine assignment. (1 Corin 15:33, Prov 13:20).
Rewards of focus
1. Divine speed because your life is full of light (Divine illumination). (Matt 6:22)
2. Stress free accomplishment – because you are where God has placed you, you will enjoy divine backing. (1 Thess 5:24)
3. Success: – if you are where God has placed you and you are focused, God himself will grant you good success. (Josh 1:8, 2 Corin 3:18)
4. Peace and Joy: -(Ps 119v165, Jn 16v33, Ps 16v11)
5. Restoration: – (Joel 2:25-27, Jere 30v17).
(Busola Olotu)
Busola Olotu's Blog 