When I really want to - and I mean REALLY want to - I can remain focused on a project, or task, or goal. This does not come easy for me. Not at all. But, when I put my mind to it, I can definitely remain focused on a particular direction, dream or purpose.
As I write this, James Holzhauer is the current champion on Jeopardy with nearly $2 million dollars in winnings over about 25 days. Unbelievable! Clearly, James is a man who has spent his entire life focused on winning at gambling (he is always introduced as a professional gambler living in Las Vegas). Certainly he has a photographic memory and his quick trigger finger assures him the win of the buzzer nearly every single time. The man is focused.
There are those who have told me (or I've read articles about this) that they are easily distracted during the worship service by things like the timing of the slides, the pitchy voice of the singer, a wrong word sung, a baby crying, the color of the walls, the service running a few minutes over an hour and various other "distractions." I feel very sorry for these people. I'm not really judging their connection to God, or, at least, that's not my intention. But I do know that, for me, all of those things (and a long list of other "distractions") long ago left me as I enter into a worship service. And, for me, it all comes down to focus.
For me, the focus of my gathering with other Christ followers has nothing to do with song styles, room color, or the clock. It just doesn't. Several years ago I came to a place of understanding that worship is never about me or my wants and needs. It is all (and only) about responding fully to the God of all creation, through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is my "worship focus." And that focus remains constant regardless of music styles, room décor and other excuses people use for choosing to not worship God.
I'm in good company.
The disciples lost focus and fell asleep.
The disciples lost focus and tried to instruct Jesus what to teach on.
The disciples lost focus and denied Jesus.
The disciples lost focus and - - -
I think the key for me, and for all of us, is to flip the Worship Switch in our brains and hearts. We need to choose to recognize who Jesus is, what he accomplished on the cross and through his resurrection, and then focus on that reality as we gather for worship.
I wish those distractions I mentioned earlier were the only ones to deal with because those are the easy ones to blame. But what about modern worship trends? If we find ourselves more eager to sing a particular song by a particular worship celebrity because it makes us feel good - than we are to simply fall humbly to our knees and worship Jesus then, sad to say, that is also a distraction that has caused us to lose our focus on Who it is we are worshiping. (That's called idolatry, by the way.)
I want to worship Jesus with the same level of focus James Holzhauer has standing behind his Jeopardy contestant position.
Let's choose to always focus on Jesus when we gather for worship.
