Fixating or Focusing?

Gò0dNews for Everyone

Fixating or Focusing?

by Chandalee Chrisman

Have 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! Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally brothers and sisters,

A couple of weeks ago, we rearranged our room, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is placing our bed under the window. just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is

A few nights later, I was exhausted and thought I commendable —if there is any moral excellence and if there would quickly fall asleep. As my sleepy head hit the is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.” pillow, I suddenly heard a long, drawn-out, high-pitched Message received. Instead of being focused on the chirp. This new noise had me fully-awake and frustrated. 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 can no longer control us or keep our attention. when my focus was on the irritant, I realized I get this way 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?

In my reflection, a couple of verses came to mind: Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that About The Author 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. 38 // October 2020