Focus

Link: Core Values
Focus: Holy Scripture (3/7)
Day: 03/95
Pathway summary: Study of the Word of God with expectation of Holy Spirit inspired revelation.
Justification: (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 119; John 16:7-15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
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Setup:
Continuing the Bible study on Love. I am regularly seeing myself be sweeter. And I can directly see the impact on my household.
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Prep:
I sense that today's evaluation of Love is to focus on how Scriptural tenets appear in practice.

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Execution:
I started off with research and started to really delve in - when I realized I hadn't prayed.  After quickly praying, I continued and realized my focus was awry - instead of practical applications of Love, the study began to focus on how to ensure your focus is correct. In particular, I used about half of Matthew 6.

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Day 3 Conclusions / Thoughts

This Bible study has been interesting in that, unlike almost every other read-the-Bible-iteratively approach I've been actually excited and interested in what God would reveal.  And it was thus a beautiful time to be brought a little low. Because my focus was off, my focus on focus caused me to lose focus. Ahem.

So I prayed, asking God for forgiveness, and started anew.

I began with the idea that "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" was a great way to apply the tenets of love - a quick Bible search revealed that it only showed up in one place ... which happened to have applications, focus remediation, the Lord's Prayer, and several points about perseverance and rewards.  Leave it to God to take my focus failure and teach me something as well as nudging me in the direction which would actually answer my real question.  Ya'ay God.

Focus is terribly important because it is an easy way for Love to kind of leak out of our perception. In so much as motive and attitude provide solid footing for actions of Love, focus provides for the direction of our footfalls.  You still need a feedback system to ensure the attitude and motive stay aligned to God's intent - and focus offers leading-edge feedback.

So my call to action is to try putting these three into place all throughout the day - as regards to relations with my family, my co-workers, my clients, my neighbors, and any strangers I meet.  And I claim that any success I have in this regard will be due to God's work in me - whether over the course of my life up to this point or the changes He has wrought over the last three days,

I look forward to seeing what God has for me next!

Baseline

Context:

It is the hardest thing in the world to change, really change.

Sometimes I think it is because we so often define our expectations based upon labels.

So if you're in one camp, you're "okay"; and anyone not in that camp is "wrong".

... as if labels meant anything except an opportunity to feel safe.

Sometimes I think it is because we are confused or afraid of the full-identity commitment.

We get used to being old, angry, frail, hated, whatever ... and that skin feels comfortable.

Even if we actually hate it.

To become something or someone else requires an understanding that your nature is ... misaligned.

And so this comes with its own fear - what if a head-down approach to changes misses something?

The best way to change is to have an objective guide outside of yourself providing feedback.

Best case scenario, this guide would need to be perpetually available, be as committed to your change (or more so) than you, have a clear understanding about the direction you OUGHT to be growing/changing, and be aware when the rate at which your changing is not healthy.

Because change that comes too fast or too slow can be its own death knell.

I want to be better ... and that requires change.

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Legend:
I intend to set a SMART goal that captures the kind of better I'd like to be.

That is, establish a measurable, specific goal that can be accomplished within a known time window.

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Declaration:

By 08 October 2016 (95 days) I want to be a better Christian, by evidencing improvement along all 12 of the City Life Pathways.

Anticipation:

I anticipate I will observe improvements as a spouse, a parent, an offspring, and as an individual

Measurement:
I will establish a baseline along each of the 12 pathways (to be able to recognize improvements).

Feedback:

After establishing a baseline I will focus on one pathway each week; and, presuming I'm faithful, I'll document my state here on these pages.  If nothing else, I hope that whoever reads this is able to grow closer to Christ.

Ballast:

Additionally, I'll do my best to document habits, mental tendencies, and hobbies that detract from my ability to succeed in each domain. I commit to either completely replacing or pausing any that earnestly detract from successfully bearing fruit.  And throughout I will be asking God to guide me. Cause change is hard.  But God is greater