What's Your Focus?

Our church has been blessed to be able to participate in Upward Basketball and Cheerleading for the past two years. Upward is a sports ministry program designed to help the church reach out into the community and introduce Jesus to children and their families through sports. This weekend, I was able to go to an Upward Leadership Conference with a group of people from my church.

It was such an incredible weekend! On Friday night, we heard a message from Upward's founder, Caz McCaslin. He has an incredible testimony and is a wonderful speaker. He told us about Upward's history and about how God has worked through this wonderful organization. One of the main points in his message on Friday night was that we are the tools that God uses to reach a lost world.

We all have a role to fill and we all have a circle of people that we influence. What is your role in the eternal influence of the people you come in contact with?

In today's society, we love excuses. We don't like to take the blame for anything, and we like to point at circumstances or other people as excuses for why we don't step up and fulfill the roles God has planned for us. Caz listed five main reasons that people don't step up and don't fill those roles:

1. They say, "I'm not worthy." This one is easy to understand and identify with. We've all felt unworthy at times. And we ARE unworthy - because we're sinners. But by the grace of God, we are saved from our sin and adopted into God's family. And when God asks us to do something, He really just wants us to be obedient. If we obey, He will work through us and His power will make us worthy.

2. They say, "I'm scared." We've all felt that way. I can't even tell you how many butterflies land in my stomach right before I speak to a group of ladies or sing at church - and yet, at the same time, I feel so close to God when I obey Him and share my testimony or song. Sometimes what God asks us to do is scary, but remember this verse: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 God can erase your fears, if you let Him.

3. They say, "If I do this, I'll be criticized." We all know what it's like to have someone oppose what we're doing. Even if you've never been persecuted for your faith, you've probably been persecuted for something. That's a hard thing to deal with. But think about what Jesus went through for you. He was criticized, ridiculed, arrested, beaten and crucified. He knows what it means to suffer, and He will never leave you to suffer alone. He thought that you were worth His suffering - do you think the same of Him that He thought of you?

4. They say, "I don't have time for this." I know that we all try to squeeze 30 hours of stuff into a 24 hour day. We're busy. That's just a fact. But it's still one of my Aunt Wanda's pet peeves for someone to say "I don't have time" or "You have more time than I do." She always says that we all have the same amount of time - it just comes down to what we DO with our time. She is so right! How do you use your time? Could you sacrifice an hour a week to be a prayer warrior for your church? What about ten minutes to make a phone call to that friend that God has placed on your heart? Or five minutes for an email to your pastor to tell him that you appreciate his hard work and dedication to your church? A lot of us have packed schedules, but there is always something that you can do if you just take advantage of the free time you do have.

5. They say, "I can't do this by myself." A lot of us are just afraid of volunteering because we don't think we can handle the obligation of the position. Some people are just afraid of commitment. Some people just prefer to be a follower instead of a leader. But volunteering your time doesn't always mean that you have to the the person in charge. God calls some of us to be leaders and some of us to work behind the scenes. But no matter where you're called, you're NOT by yourself. Jesus said, "and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20b) He is ALWAYS with you, and your church family is there for support too. You're not expected to do it alone. God designed the church to be like a machine. All the parts have little jobs that they have to do in order for the machine to run properly and they have to work together in order to accomplish their goals.

Notice the excuses people make. What word do you see in common?

"I"

Every excuse is about me, me, me. We have a ME MENTALITY. But guess what? It's not about you.

Galatians 2:20 says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (KJV, emphasis added)

It's all about CHRIST!

So here's the question Caz asked us: Are you looking into mirrors or windows?

When we look in the mirror, all we see is ourselves. We see what WE want, and what WE like, and what WE need. But when we look out the window, we can see the lost and dying world that's all around us. Look at your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, your family - how many of those people don't know Christ? Do you realize that it is your responsibility as a Christian and a follower of Christ to try your BEST to introduce those around you to Him?

Today at church, Brother Rick preached about God's Vision for us individually and as a church. We tend to get so focused on ourselves and the things that we need to get done that we lose our vision.

We get so wrapped up in our daily lives and the things that we have to do and want to do that we forget to look at the big picture. We lose focus on what's really important. We forget WHY Jesus came to the world in the first place. He didn't come so we could just profess to believe in Him and live mediocre lives where we just barely scrape the surface of His plans for us. He came that we could have life, and that we could live ABUNDANTLY! (John 10:10) And He came so that WE could learn how to teach others how to have abundant lives as well!

If you feel God calling you into a position or a ministry, don't look in the mirror for your answer. Look out the windows and see the fields that are ripe and ready for harvest.

What's your focus? Mirrors or windows?

*For more information about the Upward organization, visit http://www.upward.org/.