Focusing on Christ Amid Life's Distractions

 

Summary

In life, much like a dog in obedience school, we often find ourselves caught between distractions and our ultimate goal. The dog is placed at one end of the room with its master at the other, and a tempting bowl of food in between. The lesson here is clear: the dog must learn to keep its eyes on the master, not the distraction. Similarly, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, not on our immediate problems or temptations. Whether it's financial struggles, job loss, or relationship issues, focusing solely on these challenges can lead us astray. Instead, we should look to Jesus, the Victor, and the problem solver.

The story of Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy, who were imprisoned in Auschwitz for hiding Jews during World War II, serves as a powerful illustration. Despite their dire circumstances, they found peace by focusing on Christ. Corrie famously said, "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed; if you look within, you'll be depressed; if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." This perspective shift is crucial. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we can endure the unendurable and achieve the impossible.

To maintain this focus, we must remember God's goodness in the past, His presence in the present, and His promises for the future. This mindset allows us to shift from worry to worship, from panic to prayer. It's a conscious choice to look beyond our circumstances and trust in the invisible, yet ever-present, Savior.

Key Takeaways:

1. Focus on the Master, Not the Distraction: Just as a dog in obedience school must learn to focus on its master rather than the tempting food, we must keep our eyes on Jesus amidst life's distractions. This focus helps us navigate challenges without being led astray by temporary temptations. [00:25]

2. Endure the Unendurable by Seeing the Invisible: When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, the key to endurance is keeping our eyes on the invisible Savior. This perspective allows us to transcend our immediate circumstances and find strength in Christ. [01:12]

3. Perspective Determines Peace: Corrie ten Boom's insight teaches us that our focus determines our emotional state. By looking at Christ, we find rest and peace, even in the most distressing situations. This shift in perspective is essential for spiritual resilience. [02:05]

4. Remember God's Faithfulness: Reflecting on God's past goodness, present closeness, and future promises helps us maintain our focus on Jesus. This remembrance fuels our faith and empowers us to face current challenges with hope and confidence. [02:33]

5. Choose Worship Over Worry: In moments of anxiety, we have a choice: to worry or to worship, to panic or to pray. By choosing to worship and pray, we align our hearts with God's peace and power, allowing us to rise above our circumstances. [02:33]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - The Obedience School Lesson
[00:25] - Keeping Eyes on the Master
[00:45] - Focusing Beyond Circumstances
[01:02] - Enduring the Unendurable
[01:12] - The Story of Corrie ten Boom
[01:34] - Lessons from Auschwitz
[01:50] - Perspective and Peace
[02:05] - Finding Rest in Christ
[02:18] - Seeing the Invisible
[02:33] - Remembering God's Faithfulness
[02:33] - Choosing Worship Over Worry

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Hebrews 12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
2. 2 Corinthians 4:18 - "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
3. Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

#### Observation Questions
1. What is the main lesson taught to the dog in obedience school, and how does it relate to our spiritual journey? [00:11]
2. How did Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy find peace during their imprisonment, according to the sermon? [01:34]
3. What are the three things we are encouraged to remember about God to maintain our focus on Jesus? [02:33]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the analogy of the dog in obedience school help us understand the importance of focusing on Jesus rather than our problems? [00:25]
2. In what ways does Corrie ten Boom's quote about looking at the world, within, and at Christ challenge our usual perspectives during difficult times? [02:05]
3. What does it mean to "endure the unendurable by seeing the invisible," and how can this perspective change our approach to life's challenges? [01:12]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a current distraction in your life that is pulling your focus away from Jesus. What practical steps can you take this week to redirect your attention to Him? [00:25]
2. Corrie ten Boom found peace by focusing on Christ during her imprisonment. How can you apply this mindset to a challenging situation you are currently facing? [01:34]
3. Consider a time when you were overwhelmed by your circumstances. How might remembering God's past goodness, present closeness, and future promises have changed your response? [02:33]
4. When faced with anxiety, how can you choose worship over worry in a tangible way this week? What specific actions can you take to shift from panic to prayer? [02:33]
5. Identify one area in your life where you tend to focus on the problem rather than the problem solver. How can you intentionally shift your focus to Jesus in that area? [01:02]
6. How can you incorporate the practice of fixing your eyes on the unseen, eternal aspects of life into your daily routine? What might this look like practically for you? [02:18]
7. Think of a recent situation where you felt distressed or depressed. How can you apply the lesson of looking at Christ to find rest and peace in similar future situations? [02:05]

Devotional

Day 1: Focus on the Master, Not the Distraction
In life, distractions are inevitable, much like the tempting bowl of food placed between a dog and its master in obedience school. The dog must learn to focus on its master, ignoring the immediate temptation. Similarly, we are called to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on the distractions or challenges that life throws our way. Whether it's financial struggles, job loss, or relationship issues, these distractions can lead us astray if we focus solely on them. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, the ultimate problem solver, we can navigate these challenges without being led astray by temporary temptations. [00:25]

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Reflection: What is one distraction in your life that often takes your focus away from Jesus? How can you intentionally redirect your attention to Him today?


Day 2: Endure the Unendurable by Seeing the Invisible
When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, the key to endurance is keeping our eyes on the invisible Savior. This perspective allows us to transcend our immediate circumstances and find strength in Christ. The story of Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy, who were imprisoned in Auschwitz for hiding Jews during World War II, serves as a powerful illustration. Despite their dire circumstances, they found peace by focusing on Christ. By seeing the invisible, they were able to endure the unendurable. [01:12]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you shift your focus from the visible problem to the invisible strength and hope found in Christ?


Day 3: Perspective Determines Peace
Corrie ten Boom's insight teaches us that our focus determines our emotional state. By looking at Christ, we find rest and peace, even in the most distressing situations. This shift in perspective is essential for spiritual resilience. When we focus on the world, we may feel distressed; when we look within, we may feel depressed. However, by focusing on Christ, we find rest and peace. This perspective shift is crucial for maintaining peace amidst life's storms. [02:05]

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to shift your perspective to find peace? How can you actively focus on Christ in those areas today?


Day 4: Remember God's Faithfulness
Reflecting on God's past goodness, present closeness, and future promises helps us maintain our focus on Jesus. This remembrance fuels our faith and empowers us to face current challenges with hope and confidence. By remembering God's faithfulness, we can shift from worry to worship, from panic to prayer. This mindset allows us to trust in the invisible, yet ever-present, Savior. [02:33]

Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV): "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: Take a moment to recall a specific instance of God's faithfulness in your life. How can this memory encourage you to trust Him with your current challenges?


Day 5: Choose Worship Over Worry
In moments of anxiety, we have a choice: to worry or to worship, to panic or to pray. By choosing to worship and pray, we align our hearts with God's peace and power, allowing us to rise above our circumstances. This conscious choice to look beyond our circumstances and trust in God transforms our perspective and empowers us to face life's challenges with hope and confidence. [02:33]

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Reflection: What is one specific worry you can turn into worship today? How can you incorporate prayer and thanksgiving into your response to this concern?

Quotes

"when they're teaching a dog at obedient School they'll put a dog at one end of the room and they'll put the master at the other end of the room and between the puppy and the master they put a bowl of food and if the PPP and then the master is to call the puppy if the puppy spies the food he's a goner he's going straight to the food because he's distracted by it he's tempted and and so in obedience school they teach dog to keep their eyes on the master that's what you got to do you can't be looking at your bank book balance you can't be looking at the fact that you haven't had a job in a year or that some your marriage is falling apart you cannot simply look at the situation you've got to look at the Savior you can't look at the as a victim you've got to look at the Victor you can't look at the problem you've got to look at the problem solver you must keep your eye on Jesus" [00:01:36]

"you say Rick you don't know what I'm going through what I'm going through right now is unendurable friend the only way you will be able to endure the unendurable is to keep your eye on the invisible if you look Corey tinboom said it like this Corey and her sister Betsy were incarcerated in owitz because they were Christians in Holland and then she wrote a book about this the hiding place and they hid Jews in their home to protect the Jews during the World War II from the Nazis and one day they found the Jews and they not only took the people they were hiding but they took the Corey and her entire family and took them to oswit too Betsy died there in the death camp Cory later wrote if you look at the world you'll be distressed if you look within you'll be depressed if you look at Christ you'll be at rest it all depends on what you've got your eyes on it's all a matter of perspective you can only do the impossible if you see the invisible we keep our eyes on Jesus" [00:68:08]

"what does that mean it means I remember God's goodness to me in the past I remember God's closest to me in the present I remember God's promise of power for me in the future and I get my mind off my discouraging circumstances I can either worry or I can worship I can Panic or I can pray" [00:147:00]

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Transcript
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