Fixing Your Focus this Season

By Rae Lynn DeAngelis

I was in a rut mentally and emotionally. I couldn’t get away from all the bad news. I kept focusing on the many challenges surrounding our world in this current season: lockdowns, mandates, deaths, layoffs, supply-chain shortages. Like a category-five tornado, the swirling winds of doom and gloom kept threatening to sweep me up and carry me away. Each breaking story across my newsfeed channeled new waves of fear into my spirit.

Can you relate?

As the holidays quickly approach, some are finding it difficult to be thankful and merry. Perhaps it has something to do with the default setting in our mind which acts like a gutter for damaging thoughts. Negativity rushes through the neuro pathways of our brain at lightning speed, especially when our spirit is in a rut of despair.

But here’s the truth. It doesn’t have to be that way. We have much more control over our thoughts and feelings than we might think. It all has to do with a precious gift God bestowed upon us when He created us—freewill and choice.

“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

At any given moment, we have the freedom to choose where we will fix our focus. We can focus on the negative (curses) or the positive (blessings). One leads to death, the other leads to life. Where our thoughts go our emotions will follow. Which do you choose?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

I have decided to choose life during this season, a decision that has ushered in peace and joy, even though the storm around me continues to rage. Would you like to know what I did to help bring about this change? It’s simple really. I’ve developed a different way to pray. Instead of asking God for the things I want, I spend the majority of my prayer time thanking Him for what I already have. With each praise of thanksgiving, my spirit lifts, my gloom fades, and my future brightens.

Although we are all at varying places on our life-journey and have different challenges and heartaches coming our way, there are eternal blessings for which we can all give thanks.

Abba Father, thank you for today, a new day that ushers in new mercies. Thank you for your creation, both here on earth as well as in heaven. Thank you for preparing a place of me when my time on earth is over. Thank you for giving me strength to face all the challenges I will face today. Thank you for being ever-present when I feel alone. Thank you for providing my most basic needs. Thank you for meeting me where I am in each moment and guiding my steps when I lose my way. Thank you for being all-powerful and all-knowing and having a plan in place to accomplish your good, pleasing, and perfect will. Thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for the change of seasons both in nature and in life. Thank you for your Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my world. Thank you for your truths that counter the lies of the enemy. Thank you for commanding me to rest so that my body and mind can be rejuvenated. Thank you for your love that never ends. Thank you for peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for the forgiveness of my sins through the blood of your Son, Jesus. Thank you for removing the barrier of my sin so that I can come directly before you in prayer, today and every day. And thank you for teaching me to fix my focus on you, the Author and Perfecter of my faith. Amen.

It’s all about where we choose to fix our focus—thanks during Thanksgiving and Christ during Christmas.

I have some exciting news! Living in Truth: A Christmas Devotional was just released a few days ago and is now available on Amazon. This 20-day devotional will guide you through the holiday season using a biblical lens and Christ-centered focus.

*Jesus*—He’s the real reason for the season!

While you are there, get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping and grab a copy of Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit. It’s a great way for women to fix their focus on Jesus the whole year through.