Where’s Your Focus?

By: Chris Johnson

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:2)

This article is NOT about making or keeping New Year’s resolutions, but here are two statistics from last year: 51% of Americans made resolutions to improve their physical health (exercise more, lose weight, and eat healthier), while 21% were committed to saving more money. (statista.com)

Indeed, we are called to be good stewards of all that God has given us, including our health and our money (as well as so many other things both tangible and intangible). Yet, while we strive to be good stewards, we should keep in mind that even though the things we are caring for may be earthly, their true value is directly tied to what benefit they may be to our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom. These things, both tangible and intangible, have been entrusted to us; we are fiduciaries, bound to our Saviour’s best interest and prioritizing Him above ourselves and our perceived needs.

A few verses which might help to put the above into proper perspective are: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17).

What of our health; isn’t it important to eat right and exercise? Wouldn’t the Lord have us to look after our bodies? Of course, the answer is yes, but not inordinately so. Throughout time, health has always been a motivating factor for both a better quality of life as well as longevity. An embarrassingly huge sum of money is spent on “better health” every week in America, as people pursue physical well-being.

While taking care to have a general concern for our health is a matter of good stewardship, there are those who put such an emphasis on working out for hours on end and becoming quite finicky in what they eat – all for the sake of the body – that they might be considered “health fanatics.”

Yes, the Bible speaks to these matters in a general, yet serious, sense. For example, Proverbs 23:19-20 warns us to avoid gluttony and drunkenness, and to care for our body to make it as useful as possible for Christ’s work: “Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:”

As we set our affection on things above and not on the things of this earth, we will emphasize the spiritual over the sensual; we will still look after our bodies, but more from the consideration of how much more good can be done for the Kingdom, for the glory of God, and in the name of the Lord Jesus.

1 Timothy 4:8 exhorts that being spiritual health fanatics would serve us better than being just health fanatics: “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”

I once read a devotional writing from Beside the Still Waters which wrote: “Spiritual health is much more consequential than physical health. In a spiritual sense we should actually be ‘health fanatics.’ What does our spiritual diet consist of? Are we feasting on the lethal desserts of sports, technology, social media, extravagance, or carnal entertainment? Or are we feeding on the wholesomeness of Christ?”

While there may be nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence in some of the above (there’s a difference between having a piece of pie on the side as opposed to your meal consisting of the whole pie), they mustn’t become our affection and they, along with all things, should be viewed with spiritual eyes – our affection being Christ, having our heart in tune with the Holy Spirit, and being aware of their potential affect on our spiritual well-being.

What are ways in which we can feed on the wholesomeness of Christ? How do we focus on setting our affection on things above, looking away from the things of this earth? Here are a few helps: Daily Bible reading, extended time in Christ’s presence through prayer and meditation on Scripture, devotional reading from stalwarts of the faith, and consciously putting our trust in the Lord and ever-departing from evil (Prov. 3:5-7). Let me add one more; deliberately walking in obedience to the light we have through regular examination of where we are. David gave us a good example of this in Psalm 119:59-60. “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.”

Many “health fanatics” are focused on longevity, yet without Christ it means nothing. I’ve known men who exercise hard, eat well, and have even run marathons, yet passed into eternity at relatively young ages. Then there are those who “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow they may die,” yet live long lives. So, what’s the key to “long life”? Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51).

No, this is not a call to make resolutions, but it is a call to have better resolution – to see more clearly. As we set our affection on things above, we will see and live with greater clarity.

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