We all know that one person. They are like a single bulb shining brighter than all the other bulbs in the room. Their life is just glowing with Joy, and when they speak, it’s as if every word of theirs is full of encouragement. Every action of theirs makes life make sense, and points directly to God! After spending time with them, you leave wanting to be like them. You have never felt Christ so close, and their passion for Christ was contagious. But then you go away, and the enemy lies to you and says, “you can’t be like that. It would take a miracle for your life to even come close to that.” Or maybe, you just finished reading the Bible and read about a prophet in the old testimony. “Wow” you think to yourself, “I sure wish God would speak to me like He did him.” Or “I wish I had that amount of Faith and was that close to God.” As you think these things, others thoughts also come into your mind, “Well this guy is in the Bible, I could never be like him.”…. Are these your thoughts? Have you ever felt like this before?

I know I have, and the thoughts brought no growth, but instead caused me to think of myself lower than what God would think of me. I would think of my self as nothing more than a sinner, though that being who I was, I had forgotten that, though I am a sinner saved by Grace, I have become a saint and am being made perfect in Christ’s Love.

I had forgotten that the stories about certain men in the Bible are not just there so I know how great their life was, but are there so I know how great God is. It’s there to point me to Jesus Christ, and to cause my heart to run after Him. I look at the Bible as Love letters from God. Each and every Word in the Bible is from God, talking about His Son, Jesus Christ. All written for my benefit. When I read the verse, “David was a man after God’s own heart.” I can think, “wow, he sure was a great man, too bad I could never be like that.” Or I can think, “David was a man after God’s own heart, because in everything both good or bad, He praised God with all that was in him. Therefore, I will do the same! I desire to be a man after God’s own heart too!”

Reading God’s Word is supposed to produce change in our hearts. I like what Francis Chan once said, “if we read the Bible and are not changing, then we are reading it wrong!” [paraphrased]

Do we ever read God’s Word and nothing’s changes in us?

I remember there being a time (actually a few times) when I had to workout, and I just didn’t feel like dealing with the pain that day, so I did every workout have heartedly that day. I was able to finish my workout and surprisingly, I hardly experienced any pain that day! I didn’t focus on any of my muscle groups and therefore my workout was practically a fail. I mean, I did spend the full amount of time it takes to workout, and I used all the right equipment and did most of the correct things, but I did not focus!

What does working out have to do with reading the Bible. Well, if we don’t focus on our spiritual muscles, our spirit, and allow God’s Spirit to speak to us, then we fail. We can read the Bible all day long, seven days a week, twelve months a year, and if we are focused on what God is saying to us, then we will not see any change! When we approach God’s Word, we need to approach it prayerfully and with the mentality that God is going to change me today!

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

That person I spoke about at the beginning. The one who seems to be in the presence of Christ at every moment of the day; the one whose words have major impact when they speak in positive ways; the one whose life truly shows they are a Child of God; they have learned that true growth happens when you apply yourself to God’s Word and devote yourself to prayer, but do it with a Focused heart and not half heartedly! We all know that one person! And we too can be like them, but even better than that, we can be like Christ and are called to be like Christ! If God calls us to be imitators of Christ, then He has made a way for us to be! So let us Focus on Him and become like He has called us! Focus Focus Focus!!

“Promise Land Living never comes to the Spiritual lazy.” – Pastor Chuck Peters