Focus

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On their 5th attempt, the plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12 second flight. 

Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message – WE HAVE FLOWN FOR 12 SECONDS - WE WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to the newspaper office, told the editor of her brother’s new flying machine, and informed him, they would be home for Christmas, if he would like to set up an interview.  He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.

On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the 6th page of the paper: “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”

It was the most important story of the year... and the editor of the paper missed it.  

To him it was just another day... another news item... just another thing to live through.  He was focused on the wrong thing.   

If we’re not careful, and we take our eyes off what is important, the uncommon will become common... 

God will cause hurting marriages to heal...

Weak hearts to beat stronger... 

Stage four cancer to “go away”...  

Unbelieving people to come to Christ...

Waters to be filled with those getting baptized...

And If we lose focus, we will highlight the wrong headline.  

Instead of printing the words:  “GOD CHANGES LIVES”

We’ll push it to page 6 and write ... “Life happens...”

Without realizing it, God-sized things become ordinary.  normal.  standard.  typical.   

And if we’re not careful...

We’ll begin to think we’ve earned salvation.

Or we deserve His mercy.

Or His grace is automatic.

Everything God does for us is because He loves us and chooses to do it.   We don’t control Him by making deals with Him.  We don’t earn more favor because we’re not as bad as our neighbor.  We don’t get special privileges because we are nice to the people who are nice to us.  

No... God is amazing.  His favor for us is unmerited and impossible to understand.  He does miracles... major ones and minor ones because we are His masterpiece.

And He loves us.

Today... thank God for those miracles in your life... The first breath you took this morning.  The health of your children.  The job you have.   The successes of yesterday... or the growth that came through the challenges.  

The enemy will tempt you to overlook the headlines of God’s goodness.  He’ll try to convince you that God gave up doing miracles long ago.  Don’t let him.  Our Heavenly Father is FAR from common... and what He does in our lives should always be on the front page of our hearts.  

Already Famous

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”  Ephesians 1:4

Andy Roddick is a well-known name in the world of tennis...but it wasn’t always that way.  He started playing when he was three and a half years old.  As he got a little older, he never put down his racquet and played tennis in the garage for hours against imaginary opponents.  When he was seven, he was so certain of his future success, he gave his entire family autographed tennis balls for Christmas.  

Andy knew he’d make it in tennis... but so many think they “know” only to find themselves feeling unworthy and unsuccessful.  If that’s you today, I have good news... YOU are already a success where it matters.  In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us that even before He made the world... God loved us.  You are loved by God.  You are His child and He has a plan for your life.   No need to wonder if you’re important... you are.  You may never sign an autograph, but your name is written on God’s heart... and it’s for that reason that you should hold your head up and keep moving forward as the masterpiece you were created to be!

Feeling Small

“You have made them a little lower than the angels

    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

    you put everything under their feet:

all flocks and herds,

    and the animals of the wild,

the birds in the sky,

    and the fish in the sea,

    all that swim the paths of the seas.”  Psalm 8:5-8 (NIV)

In one of Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” cartoons, Charlie Brown and Lucy are gazing up at the universe in the night sky.   After a couple of minutes of this, Charlie tells Lucy, “Let’s go inside and watch television.  I’m beginning to feel insignificant.”  

Have you ever felt that way?  Most of us do from time to time.  We see ourselves as unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, Psalm 8:5-8 tells us that God put us in charge of all of His creation!  We are trusted, protected, valued, and given an important assignment while here on Earth!  Next time you feel small...remember how big God is... and how much you matter to Him.