Focus
There's an old saying that says, "you can't be two places at once". Another thought like that is, "you can't get to a destination if you are looking in two directions". Focus is a hard thing to maintain, especially in a shaking world. I was taking a tennis lesson years ago from a Pro and after we hit a few balls, he called me to the net and said, "you aren't watching the ball". I said, "certainly I am watching the ball because I am hitting it back to you". He reminded me that there are different levels of focus. One level is seeing the ball but there is deeper level of focus where you see only a part of the ball. In baseball, an average high school hitter sees the ball coming to the plate and sees the stadium as the backdrop. A college player sees the ball as a back drop and sees the stitches spinning as the ball approaches. The great Ted Williams is said to have had the ability to see writing on the ball rushing toward him. As I learned to focus on the tennis ball at a deeper level, I found that my shots became more powerful , more crisp and were more difficult to return by my opponent. As leaders we can't have a casual approach to the Christian life and to leadership in particular. We must get clear as to what we are called to be and what it is that we want to accomplish. What are we wanting to produce in those we are leading. As we see it more clearly and with greater intensity, we will find that our work is much more powerful and our fruit will increase. The question is asked of a leader in Scripture, "how long halt ye between two opinions"? Another case was Moses at the Red Sea. There is a time to hesitate in order to be sure. There are also times when hesitating will cause failure. Let me encourage you to hear this word today. If you are struggling with indecision, get before the Lord in prayer. Hear what it is that he is saying to you. Then, when you hear it, focus on that direction. Don't let anything or anyone cause you to waver from what "He said". Remember, Jesus set his face to Jerusalem and would not be distracted from his focus on his mission.