Creating time for Christ amidst the ups and downs of life demands strict adherence to the character. Jesus forms a focal point in our lives. Everything to do, we have to incorporate Him for it to be a success. So, how can one focus on Jesus?
Devotion to Christ through prayer and reading and understanding the word of God in the Bible are the best ways to focus on Jesus. It helps us to become true disciples of God. In Mathew 22:37, Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Christians are urged to keep their spirit in walking their faith in Christ. He is our creator, and focusing on Him will lead to righteous and eternal life.
So, what does it mean to focus on Jesus? In what way can one focus on Jesus? What are the benefits of focusing on Jesus, and what are the bible verses to help you focus on Jesus? Keep reading to learn more from this article.
What does it mean to focus on Jesus?
We learn from the biblical teaching in the book of Colossians 1:18 that “Jesus is the head of the body, church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that all things he might have the supremacy?” Focusing on Christ means that one has a total concentration on Jesus. Acknowledging that Christ is the head and leader of our lives and allowing Him to be our guide is the ultimate way to His manifestation in our lives. We learn through these biblical stories that if we focus on Christ, He will have our full attention. He will, in a more special, occupy our lives and will be at the center of our lives.
Moreover, keeping your full attention on Christ means keeping Him as the main focal point and controlling our lives. Often, we don’t give Christ our time and allow Him to be our guide. We must make Jesus our main priority and allow His power to manifest in all we do. A life filled with Christ is a highly lived life of God’s will. We are challenged to create time for Christ and give Him praise and thanks. Our existence depends highly on God’s favor and divine will, not on our own will.
Five ways to focus on Jesus
Set time aside for prayer
One can spare time during the day to talk to God. We can communicate with God through prayer, and He always listens to us. We can talk to Jesus in times of need or thank Him when we go through good times. It enables us to put more energy into creating a solid relationship with Him.
Reading the Bible
When we read God’s word, we can connect with Him. We can understand Jesus and learn more about His teachings. It helps us channel our focus more on Jesus and live a good life before His eyes. When we practice what the Bible says, we can avoid involving ourselves in sin.
Praise and worship
Praise is being thankful for God’s favor and blessings in our lives. Praise is a way of telling others how God is good and not just showing this expression directly to God. Praise does not have to be in music form but should manifest God’s deeds in our lives.
Worship is the act of showing respect to God. It is a personal and direct conversation with God. What we worship shows who we put our faith in. worship defines our relationship with God. Our relationship with Jesus should be more critical.
Confess
We can acknowledge or admit our sins before Christ. We should not be afraid to confess our sins before God. He is ready to forgive us when we come before Him and ask for forgiveness. He loves us, will always cleanse us from our sins, and will accept us. Through this, we can live a satisfying life in God’s eyes and focus more on our Christian faith.
Get into a community
When we get into a community that brings us closer to God, we can live lives that are exemplary to others and be pleasing before God. Friends can help us walk a righteous life through prayer and Bible study. We can share our life experiences with them, and they can help us through our struggles and celebrate our victories. A community is an excellent way to be serious in our relationship with Jesus.
Benefits of focusing on Jesus
When a person focuses on Jesus, they get exposed to many benefits. Firstly, they experience perfect peace. It can be referenced in Isaiah 26:3(KJV), which reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Second, when we focus on Christ, we can have faith and avoid distractions. Illustrated in the gospel of Matthew 14:28-31, Peter at first can walk on water towards Jesus. As soon as Peter loses concentration on Jesus and concentrates on the wind, he begins to sink. It can be used to illustrate that when we focus on Christ, we can achieve what we thought impossible. Still, when we lose focus on him, our faith diminishes and what was previously possible becomes impossible.
We can also overcome fear as we get the power to overcome it. Fear will still be inevitable, but we can overcome it (2 Timothy 1:7).
We also get to experience joy by focusing on Christ. As pleasure is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, when we focus on Jesus, we can bring joy despite circumstances in our life. When we focus on God, we experience the joy of Christ.
Safety and security can also be guaranteed for those who focus on Christ. A person can be safe when they focus on Christ. After their exit from Egypt, the Israelites focused on God to guide them; though they came across many enemies, they were never defeated since they focused on God for their redemption. God, on the other hand, is never disappointed.
Those who focus on Christ are also rewarded with the desires of their heart. Psalms 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of the heart.”
And the greatest is the gift of eternal life. In the Gospel of John 3: we learn that God gave his only begotten son to die for us. They who believe in the son shall not perish but have the gift of eternal life.
Bible verses to help you focus on Jesus
Several verses can help one focus on Christ. One of them is Hebrew 3:1 “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” this verse urges those that already believe to fix their thoughts on Christ.
Colossians 3:1-4 reminds us to set our focus on Christ so that when he shall return, we may share in the glory. It tells us to set our mind not only on earthly possessions but on things above and on he who is seated on the right hand of the father.
Colossians 1:18 tells us that Christ is the head, and we are all subordinate to him. It reminds us that in everything, he is preeminent (surpassing all others). This reminds us that we should focus on Christ as we are below him, and we should heed his call.
Additionally, 1st Peter 1:13 “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Other bible verses that depict and help us keep the focus on Christ include Proverbs 4:25, Romans 12:10. Philippians 4:13, Hebrews 12:1-2, 1st Peter 5:8, and Romans 12:16. As Christians. We are challenged to give God the maximum attention in our lives. We make Him a great priority throughout our daily lives.
References
What does it mean to focus on Jesus?
Bible verses that help focus on Jesus
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.