You’ve most likely heard the expression, “keep your eye on the ball.”
Anyone who has ever played a sport, especially softball or baseball, has been told this advice is important for success. It’s also a saying used when studying or trying to succeed in a profession.
Focus and keep the main thing – the main thing!
Jesus had been giving His followers instructions and guidance for 3 years. And now, He paused to tell them that the most important event in all human history was about to happen—His death and resurrection. He was in the process of introducing a new covenant.
“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you”
Luke 22:20
And what was their response? They argued about which one of them was the “greatest.”
Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
Luke 22:24
And when Jesus was agonizing in the Garden and asked them to pray…
“Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”
Luke 22:40
They feel asleep.
At last, he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep
Luke 22:45
The disciples took their eyes off the ball. And that can happen to us too.
Life is full of distractions . . . things that tempt to take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on our problems or compare our struggles with someone else’s.
So today, we’re praying and asking God to help us focus on Jesus.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
Proverbs 3:5–6
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
A Prayer to Always Keep Jesus the Main Thing
Lord Jesus, thank you! You are the great I AM.
You told Martha that Mary had chosen the one thing worth being concerned about as she sat at Your feet listening to You. (Luke 10:42) Your Word says that You will keep in perfect peace all whose thoughts are fixed on You. (Isaiah 26:3) And that those who seek You with their whole hearts are blessed. (Psalm 119:2)
Lord, please forgive me. I can so easily be distracted by life. I can fall asleep with concerns rather than taking them to You in prayer. I can fret about things that You want me to surrender to You.
Please help me. My heart’s desire is to focus on You . . . to KNOW, TRUST, and OBEY Your will. I want Your will, to LOVE You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as I love myself, to be the main thing in my life. Please make me faithful to the study of Your Word, to prayer, and to worship You with all that I do, all that I say, and all that I am. May I humbly give myself to serving You each day that I might fully live for Your glory. Amen.
The “main thing” is that which is most important.
I’ve heard a saying that the fastest way to know what is most important to someone is to look at their calendar and their checkbook. Although there is some truth to that, I think it’s bigger than that.
When you and I want our relationship with Jesus to be the “main thing” in our lives, we can look to Brother Lawrence and his desire to practice the presence of God.
“We have to know someone before we can truly love him. In order to know God, we must think about Him often. Once we get to know Him, we will think about Him even more often, because where our treasure is, there also is our heart!”
Brother Lawrence – Practicing the Presence of God
On today’s note write:
May I focus on heart and mind on the main thing—knowing and loving Jesus.
May the Lord bless you today as you spend your day in His presence.
Click here to read the rest of Luke 22.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.
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