Stepping Stones: Need Balance? Get The Right Focal Point

Transformational Thought

One of my fondest memories as a young father was taking my daughter to dance and gymnastics lessons. I would stay, and could watch forever. I still see her bright face looking over at me every time she did something challenging. Smiling and saying with her expression, “Did you see that Dad?”

Learning to spin was a foundational lesson, and I vividly remember it. The teacher told the students to find a fixed focal point, something they could look for, easily find, and focus on as they completed each turn. She told them this was the necessary secret to maintain balance as they spun around. The days of dizziness and disorientation disappeared as they practiced and mastered this quick and easy, but powerful tip.

It seems that Satan entices us to spin our Merry-Go-Round of life faster and faster, and we get sucked into the vortex of his trap. We think we are going to the Promised Land, but the ride’s destination is stress, struggle, frustration, and feelings of being overwhelmed and disoriented. We get so dizzy from the spinning! Why? Because we don’t have that unchanging focal point!

Just as a ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, we need to have a focal point to gain our balance, grounding, and direction. Too often, I used to turn to others, or things of the world to find my balance … but they are not fixed, secure, or immutable like God is. They fluctuate with the winds of life, opinion, and culture. And people can have agendas that don’t include guiding me … agendas that are not in my best interest.

Today, make God your focal point, by returning your focus to God to keep grounded, focused, and balanced. What should you focus on? His promises, character, and teachings. God understands the limitations of your human condition and He knows that you will lose sight of Him at times. The wonderful part of this … you don’t have to strain hard to look to Him, because His promise is to be with you always. A quick glance His way will bring you back to equilibrium and balance. But you must choose your focal point. It will determine your daily balance. WITHIN REACH is geared to help you maintain God as your minute-by-minute focal point. Your decision, choose well.

Prayer
Dear Father, I feel as if the merry-go-round of life is spinning faster and faster. I try hard to regain my balance, but there always seems to be something surprising me and keeping me off balance. I regret I look to transient focal points, and I even know as I look at them that it will be a waste of time and they will disappoint and disorient me more. I pray for eyes that see the truth and turn sharply to You. I look to You, Lord, to find my equilibrium. I want You to be my focal point. Because You remain constant, you are the perfect focal point. I pray in the immutable name of Jesus; and all God’s children say – AMEN!

The Truth
For I the LORD do not change;
Malachi 3:6

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf,
Hebrews 6:16-20

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 1:8