Focus

As I was reading Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God tonight, these words leapt out at me:

“We must know before we can love. In order to know God we must often think of Him.”

That brought to mind a passage from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

It occurs to me that Paul is telling us, in essence, to think about God and His ways. When we are carrying some great burden, we need to focus our thoughts on God. When we are tempted, we need to focus our thoughts on God. When we are going through our everyday routines, we need to focus our thoughts on God. Worry, fear, sin… these are not God thoughts, but a focus aimed away from God.

The more we think on God, the more we consider His wonderful ways – the depth of His love, the delight of His grace, the freedom of His mercy – the more we find His love and guidance. The more we focus on the Lord and His ways, the deeper we love God, and the better equipped we are to reach out and love others in His name.