This post is probably not going to make any sense and sound like I’m talking in circles. If you don’t trust me, proceed.

I need my heart to quit being consumed by my life and start being consumed by my God.

This week, I’m learning to focus my heart. Lately,  I’m constantly tangled up in my own worries, rather than simply resting in the peace of Jesus freely waiting for me on the other side of my stubborn mind. I am human, and no matter how hard I try to focus my heart on God – my mind wanders into worthless worry and doubt.

Focusing your heart is just such a BIG concept – it sounds simple, but fixing our eyes on what is unseen rather than seen is so much easier said than done. So, basically, my mission this week has been about exploring and understanding what it is that makes a focused heart. I wonder about my friends who seem to rarely shake in their faith – what do I lack that they have? How does their faith not tremble in their storms? What is it that makes their hearts seem so focused?

What I seem to be figuring out is the two things all these “focused hearts” have in common are trust & thankfulness. 

Trust is the heart’s protector, and thankfulness is its reminder.

Trust protects our hearts from fear and from doubt. It guards us from forgetting that we aren’t in control of our worlds the way we think we are. Trust is teaching me to take a step back and listen for God’s voice, and understand that there’s nothing I can do to stop God’s plan for my life – why would I spend so much time thinking and worrying if I know this?

Thankfulness, on the other hand, reminds us of how good our God is – it reminds us what a creator & what a savior our trust is in. I push away thankfulness when I feel like a temporary situation overrides how lucky I am. I undervalue my blessings and overvalue my problems when I push Jesus to the side. But focusing on blessings keeps us focused on how good the plan has already been to us.

To be honest I’m starting to think this trust & thankfulness combo thing works together in some sort of crazy faith cycle.

With eyes on the storm, we wonder if our God is still present. But with our eyes on the cross, we remember He’s always been present, and always will be. I don’t know where the heck I’m going, but God knows I’m on my way.

Colossians 2:6-7 – So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as your God, continue to live your lives with Him- rooted & built up in Him, strengthened in faith as you were taught & overflowing with thankfulness.