What’s Your Focus

Shifting Your Focus: Finding God in the Midst of Chaos

Have you ever felt like your life was spiraling out of control? Like everyone around you was conspiring against you? In times of turmoil, it’s easy to get caught up in the drama of our circumstances. But what if I told you there’s a better way? A way to find peace and purpose even in the midst of chaos?

In a recent sermon on Genesis 31, Pastor Stalnaker shared a powerful message about shifting our focus from the people and problems around us to the God who is always at work behind the scenes. Let’s explore this transformative perspective together.

The Danger of Misplaced Focus

As we dive into the story of Jacob, Laban, and their tumultuous family dynamics, it’s tempting to get caught up in the human drama. Pastor Stalnaker notes, “It’s easy to go through scripture and think about how this person acted and how this person cheated and how this person lied and how this person wasn’t honest and what they would have done and what they could have done and what they should have done.”

But he challenges us to look deeper: “These people are not our Focus. You do not interpret your circumstances by what everyone else is doing and saying. There is a God behind all of that.”

Shifting Our Gaze to God

Instead of fixating on the actions of others, Pastor Stalnaker urges us to focus on God’s work in and through our circumstances. He highlights five key truths about God that emerge from Jacob’s story:

1. God Calls Us to His Will

“God calls you to do his will,” Pastor Stalnaker reminds us. Just as God used various means to guide Jacob back home, He has a purpose for each of us. The pastor challenges us to “know God’s Will and to do God’s Will and to please him in that.”

2. God Offers His Presence

No matter what we face, we’re never alone. Pastor Stalnaker quotes Genesis 31:3, where God tells Jacob, “I will be with you.” He adds, “If you are a Believer, Christ is in you. You have the Holy Spirit in you, and he offers you his presence no matter what your circumstances.”

3. God is the Source of Blessing

“God is the one that blesses,” Pastor Stalnaker emphasizes. He points out how Jacob arrived with nothing but left with wives, children, and abundant flocks – all blessings from God.

4. God Sees and Protects

“God sees. It’s not just that he’s aware of it, but he’s actively… able to protect,” as pastor explains. He cites how God intervened to protect Jacob from Laban’s harmful intentions.

5. God is in Control

Finally, Pastor Stalnaker reminds us, “God is the one that’s in control. God is always in control even when our circumstances don’t seem like it.” He encourages us to trust that God can use even difficult situations for good.

Putting It Into Practice

So how do we apply this God-focused perspective to our daily lives? Pastor Stalnaker offers these practical suggestions:

• Evaluate your current choices: “Are you doing God’s will in your heart in your life today?”
• Combat fear with God’s promise: “When fears begin to overwhelm you, will you remember that the Lord has promised to never leave you alone?”
• Practice gratitude: Remember that “all that you have, God is the one who has blessed you.”
• Rest in God’s knowledge and protection: “Can you be encouraged that he will protect you?”
• Trust in God’s control: “Can we just trust him and can we obey?”

As we face life’s challenges, let’s heed Pastor Stalnaker’s call to shift our focus from the chaos around us to the God who is always at work. In doing so, we may find the peace and purpose we’ve been seeking all along.

Remember, as pastor concluded, “God’s in control. He’s Got The Whole World in His Hands.” Let’s trust Him with our world today.