Focus on Jesus, Not the Storm - Season 2 Episode 23

On today’s episode of Jesus, You Take Over, we explore a powerful truth, what we focus on shapes the direction of our lives.

Through examples from Scripture, we see that fear grows when our eyes are fixed on the storm, but faith grows when our eyes are fixed on Jesus.

When life feels overwhelming and distractions pull us away from God, Jesus invites us to look to Him, the One who brings peace in every storm.

This episode is a reminder that while storms are temporary, Christ is eternal. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and let your faith be greater than your fears.

Thank you, listeners. God Bless! 😇🙏❤️

Jesus is LORD! ✝️

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello listeners, welcome to Jesus You TakeOver. Today's episode will be about focusing on Jesus and not the storm. Hebrews chapter twelve verse two states Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. One of the greatest spiritual battles is not always over our actions, it is over our attention. The enemy understands something very powerful that whatever captures your focus often shapes your direction. From the very beginning, God gave Adam and Eve abundance. In Genesis chapter two verses sixteen to seventeen, God said You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. Now notice where God's attention is placed. Every tree was available to eat from, but only one tree was restricted. God directed their eyes toward his abundance. But the enemy, the serpent, then tempted them and redirected their eyes toward what was forbidden. The enemy shifted their focus from everything God had given them to the one thing God had withheld. Instead of seeing God's generosity, they became consumed with what they didn't have. Now that is often how the enemy works. He takes what God has made good and he twists it. He takes God's truth and questions it. He takes God's blessings and makes us focus on what we don't have. The enemy rarely begins by attacking God's goodness directly. Instead, he tries to change our perspective. He wants us to stop looking at God's faithfulness and start fixating on what seems missing or on things that are forbidden. A shifted focus often comes before a wrong decision. That's why the battle for our attention is so important. This strategy has never changed. Today many believers become consumed by the sins they struggle with. The darkness in society, the latest crisis, dwelling in the past, fear of the future, all the evil that goes on in the world. Now, while these things are very real, they were never meant to become the center of our attention. The enemy cannot always destroy your faith, but he will try to distract your focus. So we need to stay completely focused on God, completely focused on Jesus Now I want you to think about your own life. Where has your attention been lately? Are you focused on God's faithfulness? Or are you focused on your fears? Are you focused on Christ's promises or are you more focused on the world's problems? Are you focused on what God is doing? Or are you focused on what the enemy is doing? The direction of your focus often determines the condition of your heart. Mark chapter four verse thirty seven states and a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. The Bible never teaches us to pretend storms don't exist. The disciples were in a real storm. The wind was real, the waves were real, and the danger they were in was very real. But there was a great reality sitting in that boat with them, and that was Jesus. Fear grows when the storm becomes bigger in our minds than the Savior. The disciples became consumed by what was happening around them. Jesus was resting because he understood something that they had forgotten. The storm was under his authority. Mark chapter four verse thirty nine states, Then he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then Jesus asked the disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? Faith doesn't come from staring at the storm. Faith comes from looking at Jesus. The disciples' response to this was powerful. They said, Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him. Their focus shifted. For a moment they stopped looking at the storm and they started looking at Christ. And when they saw him, everything changed. Many people today are asking what is happening in the world. But perhaps the better question is who is still sitting on the throne? The storm may be loud, but Jesus is greater than every storm that seeks to steal your peace. Matthew chapter fourteen verse twenty eight states Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. One of the most powerful examples of focus in Scripture is Peter walking on water. Jesus called Peter out of the boat. Peter did something impossible. He walked on water. Why? Because his focus was on Jesus. Matthew chapter fourteen verse twenty nine states so he said come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on water to go to Jesus. But then something happened. Matthew chapter fourteen verse thirty states but when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink. Then he cried out Lord, save me. The moment Peter shifted his attention from Jesus to the wind, fear entered into him. Notice this carefully, the storm did not change. Jesus did not move. The only thing that changed was Peter's focus. Many believers are sinking under anxiety, fear, discouragement, and despair because their eyes have been fixed on the storm. The answer is not trying harder, the answer is looking higher. World events, past mistakes, future worries. What has become larger than Jesus in your vision? Whatever has become larger than Jesus in your vision needs to be surrendered to him again. Peace returns when our eyes return to Christ. A focused life doesn't happen accidentally. We must intentionally direct our attention toward Christ. Romans chapter ten verse seventeen states Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The more you see Jesus in Scripture, the less intimidating your storms become. Imagine what would happen if every day began with Jesus instead of fear? What if your first thought was his goodness? What if your first focus was his presence? What if you spent more time listening to God's voice than the world's noise? Your peace would grow because your focus would change. Jesus said in John chapter sixteen verse thirty three, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world. Jesus never promised a storm free life. He promised his presence within the storm. We are not called to be consumed with evil. We are called to be consumed with Christ. Not focused on sin, focused on the Savior, not focused on fear, focused on faith, not focused on darkness, focused on the light, not focused on hate, focused on love. Philippians chapter four verse eight states whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, meditate on these things. The world is constantly trying to direct your eyes somewhere else. Jesus continually says look at me, trust me, follow me, stay close to me. Because wherever your eyes are fixed, your heart will follow. So today maybe you've been staring at the storm, maybe you've been watching the waves, maybe you've been focused on everything that is wrong. But Jesus is inviting you to lift your eyes. The disciples looked at the storm and they became afraid. Then they looked at Jesus and they stood amazed. Peter looked at Jesus and he walked on water. Then he looked at the wind and began to sink. Adam and Eve looked away from God's abundance and toward the forbidden tree. Their focus shifted and everything changed. The lesson for our scripture is consistent. What we focus on shapes what we experience. When we focus on fear, fear grows. When we focus on problems, problems grow. When we focus on darkness, darkness seems overwhelming. But when we focus on Jesus, faith grows, hope grows, peace grows, and love grows. Because Jesus is greater than every storm, every fear, every temptation, every uncertainty in life and every darkness that this world can produce. Jesus is the ultimate source of peace in any storm. So may we be people who do not spend our lives studying the storm and always focusing on the storm, but instead may we be people who focus on Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is the one who calms every storm in our lives. Thank you, listeners. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Always remember to keep your eyes on Jesus, because the storm is only temporary, but Christ is eternal. God bless you all. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.