Divine Focus

9/14/2025

Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

There are certain things that I count as more significant on our spiritual journey than others. Focus is one of those characteristics, and it helps determine whether we have a life of joy, peace, and love, or misery, disappointment, and chaos.

Focus affects our human side as well as our spiritual nature. Psychologists tell us that sustained focus allows us to absorb information better, make clearer decisions, and solve problems effectively. It enables us to enter a mental state where deep work and creativity thrive, and our results are of higher quality across all areas of our lives.

Intentional focus increases our brain’s ability to make connections. Concentration and mindfulness improve memory, attention span, impulse control, and overall brain efficiency. Focused attention reduces distractions caused by stress and anxiety. Focus techniques, like meditation, lower cortisol levels and promote emotional balance, helping us manage thoughts and remain present and calm.

Psychologists tell us that focus is a foundational skill enhancing mental performance, emotional balance, and physical health. Cultivating focus helps overcome modern distractions and fosters a more effective, peaceful, and fulfilled life.

On the spiritual side, God calls us to a clear and unwavering focus on Him. This focus realigns our hearts with His eternal purposes and empowers us to live faithfully. Before everything, we are called to focus on God first, on God and on God’s Kingdom. 

Focus is like a compass. Where our eyes are set is where our lives will go. If we are focused on problems, our lives will be filled with worry. If we focus on Christ, our lives will be filled with faith and perseverance. Think of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:29-30. “‘Yes, come,’ Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.” As long as Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus, he walked above the waves. But when he looked at the storm, he began to sink. Our focus determines our direction.

Jesus calls us not just to seek, but to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness above all else. This means our ultimate priority is to live under God’s reign, to love Him fully, and to embody His righteousness every day. God promises to take care of our needs, and when our focus is on Him, anxiety fades, and peace reigns. If we are distracted by the world, we miss God’s goodness; we just do not see it.

We are also called to focus on Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 teaches us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith....” Life is a race, full of challenges and distractions. But with our eyes fixed on Christ, our faith and confidence are strengthened. He is our perfect example, who endured hardship with joy, knowing the eternal prize. Focusing on Jesus is not passive. It calls us to active faith, continual renewal, and transformation into His likeness, all developed through focus.

Then there is love. Jesus taught that the Law of God can be summarized by this one word. Love is the heartbeat of our focus. We are called to love God, ourselves, and others. Love keeps our priorities aligned and our actions consistent with God’s will. Without love, our focus becomes empty legalism or self-centered ambition. Without love, we focus strictly on dogma, adherence to rules, and outward behavior, with no heartfelt relationship with God, connection to spirit, or the motivating power from grace. With love, our focus becomes true worship and faithful obedience.

There are practical steps to maintain spiritual focus. We can schedule daily devotion. Commit time with God through prayer, Scripture reading, contemplation, meditation, and worship – indoors or outdoors - to ground our mind and heart.

We can renew our minds as Colossians 3:2 instructs: “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Release earthly distractions or worries by substituting thoughts of love, peace, joy, our relationship with Christ, eternal life, or forgiveness. Let us limit distractions that pull our attention from God; this can include technology, busyness, or unhealthy relationships. Create a peaceful physical and mental environment conducive to focus.

We can surround ourselves with fellow believers who encourage and help us stay focused. We can also live with purpose, by letting every decision and action reflect our commitment to God’s Kingdom, not temporary gains, or worldly pleasures. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another….” Yes, we come to church for our own learning and connection with Spirit, but we can also play an important part in someone else’s journey. We do not just have to come to church to receive, but we can come to church to give. Where is our focus?

We can develop mindfulness, which is the practice of being fully present and attentive to God’s presence in the current moment. It involves an open, curious awareness of what is happening inside and around us, with a focus on experiencing God’s grace and love right here and now. When we avoid dwelling on past mistakes or future worries, we reduce stress. Cultivating God’s presence improves positive emotions and sustained focus on current tasks. Reminding ourselves with cues or phrases like “God is here now” can help gently redirect wandering attention.

Engaging in activities like puzzles, learning a language, learning to play a musical instrument, memory games, or simple concentration workouts, like staring at an object steadily, or counting backwards by 3’s, has been shown to improve sustained attention and cognitive control over time. Also, we can increase focus by not multitasking. The brain is not designed for multitasking; switching tasks reduces focus quality. Creating an environment that minimizes interruptions — turning off notifications, quiet workspace—helps maintain attention on a single task.

Focus requires discipline. Paul says in Philippians 3:13–14: “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal….” Paul had many reasons to look back – his past mistakes, his old life as a persecutor of the church – but he chose to focus on Christ’s call. Focus means saying “no” to distractions so we can say “yes” to God’s purpose.

Like an athlete training for a race, we cannot run effectively if our attention is divided. Paul compares faith to running with a clear goal in mind. 1 Corinthians 9:24–25 teaches, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Focus requires intention, discipline, and perseverance.

One of the side benefits of focus is peace. Isaiah 26:3 promises: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” When our minds are scattered, we feel anxious. But when we fix our focus on God’s faithfulness, peace guards our hearts. In our opening Bible verse, Jesus reminded us not to be distracted by worry about tomorrow. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Peace comes not from having fewer problems, but from having a clearer focus, keeping our eyes on God.

Although the world pulls us in many directions, it is my prayer that we heed the call of God and direct our Divine Focus onto His kingdom, onto Christ’s righteousness, and on loving others. Let us choose every day to seek first the Kingdom of God, knowing that it is in Christ and not the world, that we find love, joy, peace, purpose, and eternal hope.