Focus

You cannot always do something about the way you feel, but you can decide what you will and won’t do. It’s kind of funny…I saw this on tv once. It was a story about a guy who was all messed up and had all these problems and he spent all this time and money going to a psychiatrist. He was starting to get all upset, then he was walking around repeating what she had tried to teach him, which was: Focus. Focus. Focus. So here he is ready to tear somebody’s head off and he’s saying: Okay, focus-focus-focus. And I thought: You don’t have to give somebody $125 an hour to learn that. I’m telling you the same thing.

Manage your emotions. Focus on Jesus. Don’t look at the way it is now. Look at the way it can be. I’ve got some good things yet today. vs. 27: Peace I leave with you. [Stop letting yourselves get upset and disturbed.] Until you make your mind up that you can control yourself, your life’s always going to be a mess. As long as you’re saying, “I can’t help it,” the devil is in control. Did you hear me? Yes!: I said as long as you’re saying “I can’t help it,” then the devil is in control. As long as we’re blaming somebody else, “if you wouldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t act this way.” Can I tell you something? If it wasn’t that, it would be something else because if we have a problem in us, the devil’s going to find something to bring it out of us. It took me a lifetime to learn this. Listen up and you won’t have to go through all my pain.

Now I’d like you to go to John 16:33. This is going to be good. John 16:33, Jesus said: I have told you these things, — we’re going to get around to what these things were he was telling them. — He said: I have told you these things, so that in me you might have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation, trials, distress, and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain; undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of the power to harm you and I have conquered it for you.] I wrote in the little column next to this scripture: Calm down and cheer up.