“Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:4, NLT)
There is nothing more powerful than a focused life. It’s kind of like light. Light that is unfocused and diffused has no power. But if you focus it with a magnifying glass, you can use it to start a fire. If you focus light even more, it becomes a laser that can cut through steel and kill cancer.
Your life is like that. The more focused your life is, the more impact it will have and the more success you will have in reaching your goals.
The classic chapter in the Bible on success is Genesis 24. It’s the story of Abraham, Eleazar, Isaac, and Rebekah, and we’re going to learn from their story over the next several days.
God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation, but Abraham had grown old, and his son Isaac still hadn’t married or had children. Abraham began to wonder how he would have a great nation without any grandchildren. So he made a plan.
He told his servant, Eleazar, “Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:4, NLT).
You might be thinking, “What in the world does this have to do with me?” Well, I’ll tell you. This happened thousands of years ago, but it has enormous implications for you today. Do you have a goal to fulfill, a dream to reach, or a vision you want to become reality? Eleazar’s example will give you the steps to get there.
Eleazar’s life became focused when Abraham told him to go find a wife for Isaac. Once you, too, decide to focus your life, what specifically do you do next? Where do you begin in chasing a big goal?
Step one in fulfilling a dream is to determine your present position. To do that, you need to ask yourself these two important questions: “Where am I now?” and “What do I want to change?”
Think of it this way. If I were coming to see you, I’d say, “How do I get there?” and you’d reply, “Where are you now?”
You can’t figure out where you want to go until you know where you already are. You’ve got to know your present position. Along with that, you’ve got to assess your current condition. Like Abraham, you have to decide what you’d like to change.
Determining our present position is the first step in the journey toward a focused life, toward success in the dreams you have for your life.
Think about it:
- Looking back on your life, when have you experienced times of focus? When have you been unfocused?
- What is a big dream or goal you have for your life? If you don’t have one, start by thinking of something in your life you’d like to change.
- How does knowing where you’re starting from affect how you start moving toward your specific goal?
Prayer
Father, be with me as I move through this path You have set for me. Guide me to the destination You would have me go to, and may my words and actions along the way only bring glory to Your Name.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
