A word for 2025 for me…..FOCUS. It has been on my heart and in my mind for a couple of weeks. Then I was reminded of this scripture:
Luke 9:51- “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”
Jesus showed determination, (i.e., he “set his face”, he was steadfastly determined, etc) at the point at which all the conditions and the time were right for his purpose to be fulfilled on behalf of the Kingdom.
Luke tells us also in Luke 4 that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit as he began his ministry to be tested. Jesus demonstrated for us how to trust the Holy Spirit and be led according to the Father’s will and timing…..how to stay focused and stay on task when it comes to obedience.
My desire is to follow in Christ’s way. Over the years as the time for change has pressed in on me, I have generally recognized the conditions and, in obedience, have sought to focus on the Lord’s will.
A friend had shared a word this week from 1 Chronicles 16:11-2:
“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the judgments He pronounced,” What a wonderful Scripture to enter the new year with. “Seek the Lord and His strength.” This phrase highlights the need to actively pursue God’s power and rely on Him. “Seek His face always.” This is not a one time act but a continuous pursuit of a close, intimate, abiding, relationship with Him, knowing Him, His ways, His thoughts. “Remember His wonderful deeds.” This is a reminder to reflect on God’s past acts of kindness and faithfulness. Daily in this new year; “Give Him thanks. Call on His name. Make Him known. Sing to Him. Tell of His acts. Glory in Him. Rejoice and look to His strength. Seek His face continually, Psalm 105:4.”
So why, I wonder is God raising this word with me now for 2025? It seems to be that I will need even greater focus on his leading, not in the big picture, general direction kind of way, but with attention of even small, subtle changes in the moment daily. At the same time, the Lord is not intending to make it harder to see and follow his lead. But the work is going to be more fast-changing and variable, requiring alignment with him each moment to respond in a timely manner.
After I’d received this word and settled on it comfortably, I saw this come across my FB feed, posted by a friend! LOL!
| Then on the same day I wrote this about my word being FOCUS for 2025, as I scrolled through my email inbox, Rev. Rick Warren’s Daily message captured my attention. It seems I’m not the only one downsizing, streamlining and narrowing my focus toward greater life kingdom impact and abundance! Finish Well by FocusingBy Rick Warren — 01/05/2025  “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down . . . And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)Light diffused has no power at all. But focused light through a magnifying glass can burn a piece of grass or paper. If you focus light even more, it becomes a laser that can cut through steel. In the same way, the more focused your life is, the more effective you’re going to be.But it matters what you focus on. An effective life for the Christian is not focused on your career, your income, your success, or even your problems. Why? Because none of those things are going to last. They’re all temporary. They’re all going to fade away.Instead of focusing on anything of this world, you need to set your mind on two things: Jesus Christ and how he lived and the inevitable rewards that are coming when you cross the finish line and meet him in heaven.Living a focused life takes persistence. And the key to persistence is perspective. It’s all in the way you look at life. Why always determines how long. When you figure out why you do what you do, then you’ll have the motivation to keep on doing it.The reason why so many Christians falter and don’t end the race well is they forget why they’re doing it. Why am I reading the Bible or going to church or meeting with a small group or serving in ministry?We do it because these are habits that help us grow spiritually and prepare us for eternity. When we forget that we’re living for eternity and instead live for now, the distractions of life get us off track. We have to stay focused.The most powerful motivation in life is not internal or external. It’s eternal.Do you know how many times I wanted to quit during the 40 years I was a pastor? Just about every Monday morning! I would get discouraged and say, “Surely, there’s got to be somebody who can do a better job than me!” But I kept going because I want to finish well for Jesus, and I’m living in light of eternity.Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down . . . And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (NLT).The secret to finishing well is focus. Keep your eyes on God. Keep your eyes on eternity. Keep your eyes on the reward. Keep your eyes on ending well. Talk It Over What is your life focused on? Why do you think this is true about you? Would others say the same? What is one thing you can choose to focus on today so you can finish the race well? (For example, committing to reading your Bible regularly, joining a small group, memorizing Scripture, etc.) |