“Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways.” Ps 119:37
I homeschooled three of our children and I remember repeating this statement over and over again, “focus”! I realized that it didn’t take much for children to become distracted. A fly on the wall could provide enough curiosity for twenty minutes to go by with not much being accomplished in spelling. At the same time I have found myself having to stay focused when I’m reading, praying, driving, you name it. As I’m getting older, focusing is more of an issue for me too.
The experts say we live in an A.D.D nation. That may be true but I am more concerned with something that is happening in our nation with God fearing women. The pull to get our focus off the word of God and His will for our lives seems to be having a pretty strong effect. The media is taking women by storm and conforming the female population into the world’s mold. Sadly, many women who once focused on God’s word to define their role in society are now focusing on self expression, self assertiveness, body image, and host of other things that have diminished the true substance and beauty of a godly woman’s life.
Where do we go from here? Can I encourage us as women to turn away our eyes from the influence of this age and return our focus back to God’s word? Susan Hunt wrote, ” The slightest deviation from God’s truth produces a counterfeit reality that makes us vulnerable to the lure of culture.” I couldn’t agree more. When my attention is on that fly on the wall and not on God’s word, how quickly I detour from all that is godly, Christlike and true. I can’t afford that! There is too much at stake when I know I have only this one life to live for the gospel. How in the world can I do that without a determined focus in the Bible.
Don’t let that fly on the wall take your focus off all that truly defines you as a woman. God’s truth!
Read John 17:17
I so can relate to this post! I, too, am a homeschooling mommy to 3 little ones and there are so many times that I begin to grow restless and weary as a result of taking my eyes off of Jesus. The lure of our culture can be so very strong and there are times when I plead martyrdom and start to believe the lie that there is so much more to life than the one I am living. If I am not in the Word daily I can fall prey to much worry and discontent….I am so dependent upon it every minute of my life. Just this morning I was encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul…”Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in a such a way that you will win. All athletes practice self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-26) When I get my eyes off the goal (raising my children to the glory of God and being an example to them of His love) boy do I reap the consequences. But thank God for His Word that pierces to the depths of our souls and draws our wayward hearts back to Himself. May we all remember to live our lives with purpose in every step, keeping our eyes on our eternal prize, and remembering that this world and all of it’s fleeting pleasures are passing away.
Thanks so much for this great post!
Heather from PA
Thank you! Yes, I can relate too. I homeschool, and my husband and I work out of our home.
For many years, I struggled to keep focused on my God, and my family first. I received so many mix messages from christian women advising me to have an office outside of the home and away from my family. After years, I now know why God kept tugging at my heart to stay focused on the word. Today, my family truly appreciates that I am here for them!
Thank you for your encouragement!
Vikki-La Quinta-CA
Amen, Laurie! Thank you. I will now google Susan Hunt 🙂
p.s. oh yeah, my husband and I homeschooled, also… our 2 children for 4 years of their schooling (grades 3-6 & 6-9). what a great blessing for all of us!
Laurie,
Amen Amen Amen! It’s those moments when I “focus” on self that those bothersome things like, worry, fear, doubt, sadness, and pretty much every counterfit want this world has to offer creeps in. It is in those precise moments that I have to look only to God and “focus” on who He is and what He says and how He loves- then all the foolish things just fade away.
Hi Laury “Happy Mothers Day” God Bless You!
thank you for all the goodys you share in your blog are a bless!!!