#thefathersword - Focus

Focus..................... we all need to focus in our life. What happens when you don't focus? You begin to look confused and distressed. Mountain climbers know that to reach to the top of the mountain, they need to focus and not look down, I'm sure that when they climb a fair distance and they look down, the thoughts going through their mind must be one of fear or courage. It's not wise to look down, it's best to look forward.

Let's look at Peter, he was with his fellow disciples in the boat. It was stormy, the tide was strong and they must have feared for their life. Jesus appeared but the disciples didn't recognise Jesus in the midst of the storm but Peter said, 'If it is you, bid me to come' to which Jesus replied 'Come'. It was within that moment Peter learnt a very powerful lesson.

He negotiated the first part which was to get out of the boat and now he had to walk towards Jesus. The bible doesn't tell us how far it was or how many steps Peter took but we do know that Peter was walking on water. Peter's focus was on Jesus, he was like Jesus, walking on water but as soon as he zoomed out, he focused on the storm and how rough it was. It was at this very moment that Peter begin to sink, he began to fall. Jesus immediately lent out his hand and rescued him and asked why he had so little faith. Once they got back in the boat, the wind stopped.

I wonder, have you ever got to a point in life where you've lost your focus and all your problems are now facing you. Why not Focus on the task at hand and see what happens.
We don't know what Jesus said to Peter or whether there was any dialogue involved but I'd imagine it would be things like 'Focus on me', 'keep your eyes', head up'. It's very obvious that when Peter took his eye off Jesus, he was quite terrified and scared.

There are moments in life where if you're focus is not 100%, you will not see correctly. In order to completely focus on something, you need to zoom in and block away all distractions.
It can be difficult but Jesus is right there with you. Focus on him and you will make it, look upwards and you will get to the top.

Focus.......................Focus.........................

#thefathersword - Love

Love – A journey of love

How do you love yourself? That was a question posed to me recently. It was a question I had to think long and hard about.

Before I answered, I had to break it down into - How can I love myself?

There’s a saying which is ‘Look after yourself before you look after others’. At first glance you would think it’s quite a selfish quote but when you read it again, it will make sense. Looking after others will require a lot from you and if you aren’t well yourself, it could end in disaster.

One of the ways is to Take a break - Yes, take a break. In life, you will get involved in so many things that you find you have no time for yourself. This results in being rundown, tired and soon or later turn into depression. From time to time, take a break, go on a spa, rest yourself and regain your energy.

Anther way is to cut off all the toxic people in your life - You will find that there are people who will drain all your energy and demand time from you. Please, it's time to cut them off, they are not helping you or your health.

Live a healthy lifestyle - This is a way to destress yourself. From time to time, it's always good to get out and stretch yourself. It also benefits your mental health and it will keep the brain ticking. Eating healthily can also contribute to us being well both physically and mentally.

Treat yourself - Now and again, it is good to treat yourself. This could mean from buying new clothes to watching the latest movie at the cinema. Go on a shopping spree, have a night out with friends. Treat yourself, make yourself feel special.

Focus - Focus on yourself for a change. We have a tendency to want to help everyone around us and take on their problems but in reality we simply can't do that. It's not wrong to want to focus on yourself for a while, get yourself back to full fitness, regain your happiness and most of all love yourself.

Listen to your body - Rushing around can eventually cause us to slow down and then stop. It's good to get things done but there's a need to slow down and take it easy. Listen to your body, know when to stop or when to put the brakes on.
Picture a car travelling at a fast speed, it fails to spot the red light ahead and then crashes. Instant write off. That can become us when we ignore warning signs, we too can crash and burn. In order to prevent that, listen to your body.

When I think of love, I think of it as an action word. Loving yourself is the most important thing you should do, because let's face it - if you can't love yourself, who else will?
There will come a time when loving yourself becomes hard but it can get easier when you begin to value yourself and see yourself how God sees you.

I pray that as you start this journey of love, you will experience the love of God even more.