A quick survey of anyone that knows me reveals a troubling finding - I’ve got the ADD. Now, for clarity purposes, I will state that I have been diagnosed with ADD for as long as I can remember. Somthing had to be really.. really.. interesting to keep my attention. I often wonder what it would be like to “be normal”.
By my count, I presently have book marks in the beginning chapters of TWELVE books. TWELVE! A dozen books huddled together on a shelve wondering which one will be picked up next to have his pages dusted off. I bet they have a running bet to see who’ll be finished first.
So, you may be asking what does ‘Adderall for Jesus’ have to do with my inability to finish a book? Simple - Focus is the reason I fail so often as a Christian. There it is, in black and white. I fail every single day as a Christian due to my glaring personality flaw - my lack of focus.
Think about it, as believers we all know what when Christ sent His ‘helper’ to assist His followers, that it was none other than the Holy Spirit of He who is I Am. As believers, we also acknowledge that the Holy Spirit lives within us all. If that is the case, shouldn’t it be easy for Christians to live a relatively sin free life? One might think so, but it ain’t that easy sonny.
How often have you closed your eyes during prayer and felt your mind wandering off to work, or that load of clothes you forgot to fold, or maybe what the lady three rows that sings louder than anyone else?! I know for me personally, I often have to force myself to try to envision Christ carrying His cross to the crucifixion to prevent my mind from wandering.
And when my actions are contrary to the teachings of Christ, like when I profanely give someone a piece of my mind, or when I show my impatience with just about anything; I know that my sins are due to my lack of focus on the Holy Spirit who lives within me.
Oh how life would be so much simpler if every time we overruled the Holy Spirit within us, we got an electric shock - like a taser for three seconds. That would be quite a sight - watching us all twitch thru life like a bunch of robots with electrical shorts. Every time a guy glances at the cute waitress’ as she walked away from his table …BZZZZZ!!! Dang it, I spilled my water on me again. You’d hear a lot of folks shouting that famous quote from a couple years back – ‘Don’t tase me bro!”
You see, we are of this world. We are flesh and flesh is weak. The Holy Spirit is not of this world and it is flawless. So why do we continue to try to put the Holy Spirit in the child safety seat in the back of the SUV instead of letting Him drive? Because we have the focus of a…..OH LOOK!! A squirrel!! Sorry, I was going to say, we have the focus of an infant at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Every bell, whistle and flashing light has the ability to turn our attention away from Christ faster than Pavlov’s dog. We have the focus of ‘infant Christians.’
Listen, acknowledgement is the first step to recovery. Acknowledging that I lack spiritual focus doesn’t make me a ‘fake’ Christian. In fact, I would argue just the opposite. Because admitting I have a problem is the only way I will be able to try to solve it. Those reading this thinking “I don’t let my eyes wander…I focus during prayer…and I’ve never used profanity” are the ones who may not get the point of this post. Laser like FOCUS on the Lord is the only way we can seek to be more like Jesus. Anything less is out of focus anticipation – waiting for “Emmanueldall.”
Twelve books on my shelf are begging me to pick them up and finish reading them. One of them is actually approved by the FDA to be marketed as “Emmanueldall” - The Holy Bible. Guess I better stop typing and get back to reading. But remember; move the Holy Spirit from the child seat to the driver’s seat and YOU become the Co-Pilot. And be sure to wear your seatbelt. I hear Jesus has lead in his foot! ;)
