The other day I was listening to a sermon from Chip Ingram on the subject of focus and his introduction to that topic was as profound as it was simple, and it really stuck with me. So much that I'd like to share it with you in our Flat Tire Ministries Thought today. Understanding that I was listening to this sermon as Essie and I were on one of our early morning walks is important because when Pastor Chip showed this visual aid to his congregation I could not see it, but oh how clearly did I see it in my mind after my AHA! moment occurred.
To introduce his sermon on focus Chip had a pitcher of water that was, yes you guessed right, filled halfway with water. We all know what's getting ready to happen, the preacher asked the proverbial question, "Is this pitcher half empty or half full?" We all know that question is a loaded one as the response is all dependent on whether you are a half empty pessimist or a half full optimist. The argument could go on forever and likely never come to an agreeable outcome. But, here is what Pastor Ingram said that stopped me in my tracks. After the initial pause that follows a rhetorical question, Ingram provided this simple response, " .... the answer is yes." Yes, the pitcher is half empty and yes, the pitcher is half full. Wow, what a way to negotiate a truce huh? No, he was exactly right it doesn't matter which side of the attitude fence you land either statement "holds water" in its substance, we as individuals just choose to label it one way or the other. That's where the pastor made his point for the sermon that day. Half empty, half full, tomato/too-mat-toe, potato/ po-taa-toe it doesn't really matter, what does matter is where do you place your focus. Are you going to spend your life on the fact that half of the water is gone in your pitcher of life, or are you going to spend your days being thankful for the amount of water regardless of the quantity remaining in that same container? Where is your focus?
Regardless of your circumstances, regardless of your current status in life, or the condition of your mental, physical, or emotional status in life we all have to make a decision about where we will focus our attention. Two men stand at the base of a mountain, the first says "you mean I have to climb that mountain to get to where I am going?" While the second man looks at the mountain and says, "This mountain is going to be tough to climb, but I am thankful that I am healthy, thankful I have two strong legs to carry me over this mountain, two good eyes to see where I need to step, and thankful I have been given a map to show me how to get across this mountain so I won't get lost." Same mountain two different foci. You can apply this same focus mentality to any situation you have going on in your own life, it works the same because where you place your focus is going to be where you live. Work matters? Absolutely, "My job is so hard and I am not appreciated for the work I do" or "I wake up each morning and say thank you that I have a job and I have the opportunity to make a difference through the work I do". Your health, your family, your relationships, your automobile, or the home you live in are all areas that how you perceive them and where you place your focus will determine how well you thrive in your circumstances.
Paul is one person in the Bible who could have been a person that focused on his glass being half empty, but listen to what Paul wrote from a prison cell to the church in Philippi, "So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it." Philippians 3:15-16 (The Message Bible). Beaten, tortured, tried as a criminal for his faith, and faced with the possibility of being put to death, this is the response that Paul gave to these followers of Christ. Paul is our example of keeping the focus on the half full portion of that pitcher of water. We will make a plethora of choices today, tomorrow, even perpetually would be a sufficient statement, where will you place your focus in the choices you make? Will you choose a course of action based on the half empty mentality of why me? or will you stand tall and realize that you have been chosen for the task that lies in front of you because you are the one that God has chosen to complete the task at hand? Where will your focus be in all matters big and small? What legacy of focus will you pass along to your sons and daughters, your co-workers and colleagues? I choose to focus on what I have been given, the health that I am blessed to have, and opportunities I have been provided to make a difference in the lives of others each and every day. Focus, it is a choice. I leave you with a question to answer, where will your focus be, half empty or half full? You will be right either way, but which way will have more of an impact on others in the manner that you want to impact their lives? You only have one life, live it well!
Coach Carter
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