Focus Forward

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Last updated: July 24, 2018 at 1:41 am

cycle race photoThe other night, as I lay in bed, a horrible thought crossed my mind. It was a memory of a really stupid person making an unfair and completely false statement of me. My mind grew more and more disturbed to the point where I felt like getting up, getting on a flight, meeting this person face to face and retaliating in the most horrible manner.

Just then, the memory of another similar incident crossed my mind. And I wondered why I hadn’t told these people what I had to tell them when I was right there in front of them. Now that I was so far away, it was more difficult. But Facebook has made it so much easier for us to send messages worldwide; and the idea of making contact through friends of friends appealed to me. Of course, I would word my statement in a way that was sure to drive home, make things clear and hurt even more than I had been hurt.

But as I lay there, one disturbing thought after the other crossing my mind, I pondered on how one should act in situations like these: what was the right thing to do? Certainly, it is easy for people to blow things out of proportions. From studying life, philosophy and the bible, I had gathered that it is more “godly” to smile, walk away and entrust all evils into the hands of a mighty God. He would justify it. But just recently, I was starting to strongly reconsider. Didn’t David come vehemently against his enemies and wipe them out?

But I remember the bible verse “the meek shall inherit the earth,” “pray for those who despisefully use you,” “forgive those who hurt you, so your heavenly father will forgive you too”…and the list goes on.

After all, don’t stupid people trip on their own stupidity and fall flat on their faces? Of course they do. The problem was, because of a few past incidents, I felt like I didn’t have the patience to wait for laws of Karma to kick in and deliver the just reward to the wicked.

Once again, I shifted my brain into overdrive: I began to think like boiler at full steam. Little by little, God started to speak to me. How many times have I myself not made false, stupid and unfair statements about people without knowing the facts and which I later regretted? Quite a few. If these people had confronted me every time, imagine the amount of mayhem it would have caused in my life!

Then a realization entered my mind: people talk stupid things about other people everyday! Most of the time, they don’t know what they are talking about. Most of the time, these talks are triggered by feelings of jealousy and inferiority. Most of the times, these people forget what they say shortly after.

In fact, one time, I confronted someone about an incident of this nature, but when I started to explain, she seemed lost or puzzled. What was I talking about? Was she acting or did she really forget? Whatever the case may be, it seemed like a matter not worth pursuing. And this is the point I’m getting to: it’s not worth it. When I let these thoughts crowd up my mind, I let the enemy win. The enemy wins by robbing me of my time, mental energy and productivity. If I wipe these thoughts clean out of my mind, and “focus forward,” I win. I then own 100% of my thoughts and consciousness, and I can then gear them towards productive things: things which will improve my education, wealth, health and happiness.

The same time I spent in ire over these stupid things and people, I could spend giving thanks and praise to God, my King and my Maker, meditating on His glorious wonders, and invoking his blessings into my life. The same time I could have spent retaliating evil to the evil, I will spend instead doing acts of charity and kindness.
When I act in this way, the enemy loses in all levels. First, their efforts have failed to affect me. Second, their evil will come back to hurt them. I win on all levels.

And that is the importance of “focusing forward.” When the enemy tries to pull you backward, trust in God with all your might and go forward in joy, prosperity and happiness.

Do you remember the famous old saying “Don’t let anyone rent a space in your head unless they’re a good tenant”?

Related: Do not fail to heed the signs.

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