3 Ways to Maintain Focus (and Avoid Taking Tumbles)

Last spring Gene and I spent two days traveling to Vancouver Island by boat. We moored at a marina in Sooke and then drove to our son’s place where we spent the weekend.

The strangest thing happened at bedtime on our first night there: When I raised one leg to step into my jammies, I lost balance and keeled over sideways. I grabbed a chair for balance but it was no use. I nearly took it with me as I crashed to the floor.

Thankfully my fall bruised nothing but my pride. “What in the world was that?” I asked as I regained my composure.

“Good question,” Gene said, wide-eyed. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

A couple days later, I recalled the incident to a fitness instructor friend.

“Were the lights on?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “There were no curtains on the windows, so I’d turned the lights off when I changed clothes.”

“That explains it,” she said. “You’d just spent two full days at sea. Your brain and body had to work together to keep you upright as the boat rocked and rolled. Your eyesight played a vital role in helping you maintain equilibrium. It sent messages to your brain which in turn told your body how to stay upright amidst the constant wave motion.

“Coming ashore required your brain and body to readjust. When you turned off the lights, your eyes had nothing on which to focus to maintain equilibrium. Your brain received scattered messages and boom—down you went.”

My friend’s explanation fascinated me. It helped me better understand the importance of having a focus for one’s life.

Scripture tells us to keep our focus on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Losing that focus makes everything go wonky, but keeping it helps us maintain spiritual equilibrium. We stand secure and upright no matter our situation, and we limit the danger of taking unwanted tumbles.

So, how do we keep our focus on Jesus?

Here are three suggestions:

1. Listen to praise and worship music. I play it while I’m preparing meals or driving in the car. Any concerns with which I’m struggling lose their grip on me when I proclaim truth by singing along with the lyrics.
2. Take concerns to Jesus immediately. Negative stuff happens and our human bent is to stew over it. Doing so only embeds our focus in the wrong place. Taking that stuff to Jesus right away ensures our focus stays in the right place—on Him.
3. Talk to Jesus continuously throughout the day. Greet Him when you wake up. Acknowledge His presence as you commute to work or take a walk. Thank Him for simple pleasures, for giving wisdom, and for being your constant companion.