Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Focalism

Part of my reading this morning was in 1 Samuel 8. It's a rather startling story for a few different reasons. One thing that really interests me is the matter of Samuel's sons. Why were they so different from him? Surely he prayed for them and instructed them in the ways of the Lord, after all he was one of the greatest spiritual leaders Israel would ever have. Furthermore, there's no way he could forget what happened to Eli's sons... I don't have any answers for that.

Today, though, I really want to focus in on the Israelites' request for a king. Of course their big mistake was wanting to be like the nations around them, rather than being different and introducing God to their neighboring countries. But what struck me this morning was their insistence on having a king, even after Samuel told them what a bad deal it would be for them. Their minds were completely made up and no amount of wisdom or reason could change them.

All of this brings me back to a word that I heard Andy Stanley talk about at Catalyst: Focalism. He was preaching out of the story of Jacob and Esau and the selling of Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew. The point is clearly made in this passage as well. Sometimes we get so locked in on what we think we want at that very moment, everything else becomes a blur. In the process we make terrible decisions, trade away our future, compromise our values, and eventually live to regret it.

How can you tell if you're starting to fall victim to focalism? I think that's part of the problem - we often can't! That's why we need to humbly allow others to be involved in our lives. Is there anyone in your life you can be real with? Someone who asks you the tough questions and will be honest with you, even when it hurts? And even more to the point, will you listen to them?

I know some people who are still looking for this relationship but haven't found it. Whether or not you have someone like that, you can always go to the Lord. There's no replacement for a daily time with Him, allowing His Word to bring teaching, rebuking and correcting in your life. It's far better than falling victim to focalism.

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