Keeping God in focus

Our focus is a reflection of our priorities. Whether your focus is on raising children, building a successful career or deciding whether you should retire, where you focus your attention and energy reflects your priorities. Focus gets lost when our priorities are compromised. Focus is a small word that can determine or destroy the future.

God focused upon David when he was a young man, a teenager perhaps, and chose him to be king. He chose him not because of his stature, his charm or appearance. God chose him because of his heart because in David's young heart were the priorities of God. Yet when David was a much older man he lost focus on those priorities.

"In the spring ... when kings go out to battle ..." (2 Samuel 11:1) King David is found lounging at home lingering about his rooftop. In this moment David loses focus what it meant to be king and on the priorities of God. From the rooftop he saw his neighbor's wife and began to scheme about engaging in an adulterous relationship with her. David was on the path to destruction. The affair resulted in the conception of a child, which developed into a conspiracy to mask the legitimate father of the child. When this attempt failed an even more heinous conspiracy arose, a conspiracy to commit murder. One afternoon of lingering on the rooftop, disregarding the focus of a king, resulted in a murder and eventual civil war that turned son against father. It was spring, and this king was at home.

We should not be quick to judge David. It only takes a moment to lose focus. A second glance at a neighbor. An engaging conversation with a co-worker that becomes more personal. Ignoring rather than facing feelings of unmet needs. David lost focus on God's priorities for how he was to live and honor God.

We can learn many things from David's life. One is the power of focus. Focus on the boundaries that God has created to protect our lives. Those boundaries also protect and honor others. From others' failings we can see the importance of focusing our internal compass on God's priorities.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father and serves as the associate pastor at the First Baptist Church in Jackson.