Thursday, October 3, 2013

FOCUS!


Proverbs 15:22
      Sometimes plans just fall apart. Sometimes a new grandson needs open-heart surgery in order to live. Blogging took a vacation!
      As I listen to the noise coming from Washington, our proverb seems to fit. The “exchanges” aren’t ready, and we were told they would not be ready, and yet we are told to go and sign up knowing that they aren’t ready. The problem is not a lack of advisors, but an unwillingness to listen to them!
      Do you have people in your life that you turn to when you need advice? I hope you do. We all need advice from time to time. Even the wisest among us became wise by listening to what others have to say. We learn something by listening to what our opponents have to say. Perhaps opponent is too strong a word. Maybe they just disagree with how we frame the problem. Maybe there is more than one way to frame a problem.
      What plans are you working on? What do you what to accomplish that you haven’t already done? Where is the LORD calling you to step out in faith? You need some other people with whom you can discuss your plans, troubleshoot, and brainstorm. You need advisors if you are going to succeed.
      This is one of the difficult lessons for young people to understand. They think they should be able to do it all themselves if they are going to be successful. Bill Gates pulled in some very smart business people into his inner circle to help with the business side of his project. He didn’t try to do something that would divert his energies from what he was really good at doing. He stuck to product development and allowed others to give him advice on business.
      Paul the Apostle stuck to what the LORD had called him to do: preach the Gospel. He could have gotten sidetracked many times, but he stayed single-focused. He had Barnabas and others to whom he sought advice, but he never stopped his primary calling.
      Are you single-focused, or scatter-brained? I can tell you, there are times when I am scatter-brained. I have too many things going on at the same time. Lord, help me to put down some things!