Focus

I have been having a bit of a tough time focusing. Some who know me are laughing right now. “A bit” of trouble?!?! They say.

Some people are easily distracted. It is rare to find someone who can shut every thing out except what is in front of them and truly focus, especially with all the distractions these days.

I’ve been trying to write a major project at home. Emphasis on trying. There are so many things proverbially shouting at me, that I can barley think over the din of distractions.

As is my habit, I read the bible nearly every day. Some days I read several chapters. Other days I quickly spot a phrase, word or circumstance being described and it “jumps” of the page at me.  I connect with it. Today was one of those jump off the page days.

It was Ezra 7:10 that grabbed me. It reads: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

He set his heart to study the law of the Lord…. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Ezra set his focus, his heart, on the word of God. It was his treasure. As a scribe and a priest, possibly even The High Priest, studying the word was an excellent choice of focus.

What do I focus on? Set my heart to?

He set his heart to study the law of God and do it…. Now that is evidence of learning something. Extended focus becomes experience, not just head knowledge. If you want to know what I am focused on, follow me for a few days and see what I actually do! On second thought PLEASE DON’T follow me. Or maybe do, and I’ll be scared into doing what I know is best, rather than being as distracted as I too often allow myself to be.

He set his heart to study the law of God and do it and to teach…

Do you really want to learn something? Teach it to another. Teaching may not require mastery in the beginning, but over time, repeatedly practicing, experience can turn into mastery.

Ezra did master the word of God, in head and heart knowledge and in practice. When the exiled Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem, Ezra was their spiritual leader. After he read the law out loud to all the people one day, there was a radical reformation among the people.

That was because he studied, he focused himself to not only be able to recite the words, but to put them into practice in his own life. The result was, when he taught it to Israel, he was a virtuous and credible teacher. Their hearts were open to reform, in part, because of Ezra’s example. The Israelites were touched by the Creator himself. Ezra became a reasonable reflection of the Creator’s character through the study and implementation of the Word.

Join me in asking ourselves these questions: Where is my focus? Am I a hearer of the word only and not a doer? What one thing can I change to help me to focus better where God wants me to?