"Fix Your Focus"

Everything feels loud right now. 

News, opinions, problems—things you can’t fix but still feel responsible for. And somewhere in all that noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what actually matters. 

In this episode of Bible, Basically, we talk about what it looks like to refocus—not by ignoring the world, but by choosing what gets your attention. Walking through Scripture, we explore how peace isn’t found in controlling everything around you, but in anchoring your mind on something greater. 

Because when everything is competing for your focus… clarity comes from deciding what comes first. 

Bible, Basically — figuring out faith, together. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Welcome back to Bible Basically, where we are figuring out faith together. Well, it has been an interesting time. I mean, I am not. If anybody's ever looking to me for opinions, politics or society, this podcast is not for that. But suffice it to say, as you guys are very well aware of, it's crazy out there, y'all. And today, we're going to talk about how to focus on what's important. And I want to say shutting it all out, but it's not really shutting it out. It's well, the title of the episode, you saw, it's Fix Your Focus. And that's really what it means. It's focusing on God and not the noise. Because it feels like everything wants your attention right now. News, opinions, problems, things you can't fix, but somehow still feel responsible for. And after a while, it's just noise. Not because it doesn't matter, but because everything is competing at the same volume. And somewhere in all of that, you lose focus on what actually matters. This episode came as a result of a very special listener. And they approached me and they said, How, how, how do I how do I block this all out? And look, this is not the first time I've heard that. I attend a Bible study every Saturday morning, and one of the guys from my Bible study group has said the same thing in Bible study multiple times. It's so hard. You know, you try and be good and you try and be focused and you try and remain positive and you try and think about you know godly things and good things, and then you watch the news or read the news on the internet. I was gonna say read the paper, but that would show how old I am. But you see all of this negativity, all of this hate, all of this fear-mongering, all of all all of it, all of it. And it's not just the political climate, it's your friends on social media, it's social media in general, it's the media, it's television, it's it's just everything, everything. It's just so overwhelming.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

How do you deal with it?

SPEAKER_01 3:30

And today we're gonna look in the Bible, because that's where we need to focus our attention. And if we look at Colossians 3, verses 1 and 2, verse 1 says, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Verse 2 says, Set your mind on things that are above, not the things that are of this earth.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

These verses are intentional. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

We need to keep focused on him.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

You know, I'm reminded when I think about that. I'm reminded of when Jesus walked on water. Do you remember that? Um talks about it in Matthew 14.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

And Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side of a lake while he dismissed the crowds. After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. And when evening came, he was there alone. But the boat by this time was a long way from the land and getting beaten up by the waves. And in the fourth watch of the night, this is Matthew 14, 25, in the fourth watch of the night he came to them walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It's a ghost. They cried out in fear, but immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid. And Peter answered him, said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. And he said, Come. So Peter got out of the boat and walked in the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out, Lord, save me. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him and said, Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

So why am I reminded of this, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:35

When we're talking about focus. Imagine Jesus standing there on the water. I know it's hard to believe. I can't even imagine what that mice might have really looked like. You know, you see these TV depictions and it probably something similar, but Peter looks out and he's like, hey man, if that's really you, I could do that too. Just tell me to do it. And as long as Peter was focused on him, Peter did it too. But what happened the moment Peter took his eyes off of? The moment Peter took his focus off of him and looked at the wind around and the waves around him.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

He started to sink.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Set your mind on things that are above, not the things that are on earth. Focus on Christ, not the obstacles around you. Not the wind that is swirling in your hair. Focus on him. He's not asking you to avoid everything. He's not saying this isn't an avoidance call. This isn't stick your head in the sand. It's intentional direction. When he says set your minds, it's choose your focus. When we look out into the world today and we see all the strife and all the division and all the turmoil, this isn't new. The world is loud by design. Even in John, John 2.16, it says, For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. Everything in this world is designed to pull at what you want and what you see, and worst of all, how you compare.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

Sin is enticing. The desires of the flesh are enticing. Marketing is designed to draw you in visually.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

How you are compared to everybody else can destroy you from the inside if you focus on that. It's this whole world is not neutral. It's competing for your attention. The world wants you to focus on it. And God tells us to focus on Him. What you focus on shapes you. What you set your eyes on will define you, in a sense. Matthew 6, 22 and 23, 22 says, the eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But in verse 23 he says, But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? How massive is that darkness? What you look at shapes how you feel, and what you consume shapes how you think.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

As easy as it would be.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

I'm not going to share my opinions, my true opinions on social media.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

But I want you to think about those things. Think about what you're consuming.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

I know some of my listeners are very health conscious. Some of them, like me, are not. But some of you guys are very health conscious. And you measure what you put into your body, right? You're very conscious of macros and calories and grams of protein, etc., and all that, you know, mumbo jumbo stuff that the nutrition people tell you to put in your face. And you're very conscious of everything you consume. But are you just as careful and conscious about what you consume with your eyes? What you consume with your ears. What you look at shapes how you feel. If all you're looking at is the negativity of the world, it's no wonder you feel heavy and dark.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

Guys, you weren't meant to carry these burdens.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

The burdens of the world are not yours. We talked about anxiety a while back. I'll remind you, Peter 5, 7 says, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

You can care without carrying everything. You can be aware. But you don't have to be overwhelmed. I'm not telling you to put your head in the sand.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

I'm not telling you not to watch the news or not even not to get on social media, although. Well, once again, I'll reserve my opinion. Be aware of what's going on. Please. Don't let it define who you are.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

There's only one thing that should define who you are. You're a child of God. Being a child of God comes with peace.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Matthew six thirty-three says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Peace comes from priority, focusing on him. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Everything else will come.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

He said, seek first the kingdom of God.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Not everything in this world deserves equal attention. God should be the first thing you look for. And then the fruits of the spirit will come after that.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Peace, love, understanding. Change your focus.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

And I know it's easier said than done. And I don't know if you guys were expecting more. And if you were expecting more, tell me in the comments. And I wish I could say, you know what? It's it's it's easy. It took me a long time to understand the phrase many people have told me, just let go and let God. And I never got it until recently. And now people look at me in a time of adversity and they go, How can you be so calm? It's because I look at them and I go, I know where I'm going. I know what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

I know where my focus is.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

The waves could be crashing against my skin. The wind could be whipping through my. Well, I don't have hair, but the wind could be beating me in the face.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

And my eyes are on he who calms the storm. My eyes are on he who created me, who is sovereign over everything in my life. And when I look at him, I'm calm. No matter what else is going on. I'm calm.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Look, we have to understand. Maybe the goal isn't to fix everything. Maybe the goal is to stop letting everything compete for your focus. Because when everything feels important, nothing feels clear. But when you choose what comes first, everything else will start to fall into place. Not because the world got quieter, but because your focus got clearer.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Guys, again, thank you for listening. This has been Bible basically. Figuring out faith together.