Chasing Vision – Protect Your Focus

Have you ever found yourself sidetracked, drifting, or headed in the wrong direction? Life is full of distractions. They come in many forms and fashions, but you can be confident they are there. Unfortunately, we frequently give into distractions without realizing what is happening. We may think we are moving toward our vision, but instead, we are drifting away.

Our friend Nehemiah faced many distractions as he led the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Early in the book, those distractions were coming from his enemies, but in chapter five, we see them coming from within his team. Some of the people were taking advantage of others by charging interest and holding their families in bondage during the repayment period.

When Nehemiah heard about this situation, naturally, he was angry. Instead of allowing the issue to continue unaddressed, Nehemiah immediately dealt with the problem. In what could have become a significant setback, not only did Nehemiah keep himself focused, he helped the people involved to get back on track. He writes, “I applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered for the work.” (Nehemiah 4:16 NASB)

Last year, I was sitting around a table with a group from my church. We had the opportunity to interact personally and learn from an author and leader I greatly respect – Carey Nieuwhof. That day Carey shared a wealth of practical advice and wisdom, but one point, in particular, stood out to me. He said that as we go throughout our day, everyone will be asking us to take on their agenda, but we will rarely find anyone focused on helping us carry out our priorities.

This thought may not seem profound to you, but at the time, it was exactly what I needed to hear. I have learned that I tend to drift in the direction of the loudest voice. The people with the greatest need (or at least the greatest perceived need) get my attention. While helping people is certainly not a bad thing, drifting through life without clear priorities is. When I am distracted by everyone and everything surrounding me, I will quickly become overwhelmed and sidetracked.

Some of you may have taken the Strengths Finders assessment before. One of my top five strengths is achiever. My need to feel like I am accomplishing something can entangle me in a cycle of getting things done without going anywhere. I have had to learn to distinguish between being productive and following God. I am finding out that doing a lot of things (even good things) is not the same as listening to God and carrying out His vision.

In his letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul provides an interesting piece of advice. “But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11)

Do you see the connection between excellence and focus? If I were to paraphrase this verse in the Amber translation, I might say, You are created to accomplish great things for God, but you can’t achieve this unless you live simply, work hard, and do the things only you can do. Don’t fall into the trap of taking on too much, getting busy, or missing opportunities to use your gifts.

If you want to accomplish God’s vision and live out His priorities, you need to protect your focus.

What is your vision?

What is your greatest distraction?

What is your greatest opportunity?