Gò0dNews for Everyone
Fixating or Focusing?
H
by Chandalee Chrisman
ave you ever been trying to sleep when a noise catches
you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect
your attention? Then, you can't go to sleep because
will of God.”
you keep fixating on that noise? Yeah, me, too!
A couple of weeks ago, we rearranged our room,
placing our bed under the window. A few nights later, I was exhausted and thought I would quickly fall asleep. As my sleepy head hit the pillow, I suddenly heard a long, drawn-out, high-pitched chirp. This new noise had me fully-awake and frustrated.
Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable —if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.” Message received. Instead of being focused on the things that irritate or distract, Scripture encourages us to
I had no idea the cicadas in our neighborhood were so loud! It seemed a whole colony had congregated right outside my window, uninvited!! I just wanted quiet! It was all about my inconvenience at this point. Over the next half hour, I fumed and flopped, hoping my husband would wake up, too. No such luck; he can sleep through anything. As I eventually intentionally forced myself to be still, I noticed another noise in the room. The air purifier was loud and usually blocked out ambient noise. However, I had become so fixated on the tiny irritation outside my window that I could not focus on the one thing that should block out the constant chirping. I
dwell on God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. When we
found as I focused instead on the sound of the air purifier,
focus on what is 'true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and
the chirping faded into the background until I could barely
commendable' instead of the constant chirping of the chaos
register it. I was quickly able to fall asleep after I changed
around us, our minds become renewed through Him. While
my focus.
the chirping is still there, it fades into the background and
The next day, as I reflected on how annoyed I had been when my focus was on the irritant, I realized I get this way
can no longer control us or keep our attention. What irritants to you need to (intentionally) stop
more than I want to admit. I become so irritated by the
fixating on today? What verses can you focus on that are
world, others, and many mundane things.
loud enough to drown out the constant chaos?
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that
38 // October 2020
About The Author
In my reflection, a couple of verses came to mind: Chandalee Chrisman is the Women’s Ministry Director at Stuart Heights Baptist Church in Chattanooga and a marketing entrepreneur. She and her husband, Keith, have two children in college and a senior in high school. Visit her at goandequip.com.
