Focus (Or Lack Thereof)

With an incredible sense of purpose, I opened the window blinds and faced the morning sun.

Today, I thought, I’m going to make something happen. My keyboard will soar in the hands of a skillful writer. I will conquer the screen and many will be blessed because of my courage.

As I completed morning chores, my thoughts ran ahead to the words I wanted to whittle and shape with vision and imagination. A glass of Diet Dr. Pepper close by, I sat at my desk, fingers poised over the keyboard. A pen and legal pad were on standby. Oh, yeah. This was going to be good.

But wait, this screen is dusty. Where’s my super-duper lint-free cloth?

What a lovely day. Maybe I should write outside…

Did the dryer just buzz?

I need some music.

Uh-oh. Need a refill on soda.

This music is annoying.

Okay, here we go. Once upon a time… Brilliant, just brilliant.

Um…Once upon a dark and stormy night…

Maybe it’s time for a break.

I would love to say that mornings like these are few and far between. But all too often, the hours can slip by with few words on the page. Good intentions get lost in a lack of self-control and I accomplish very little. I’m guilty of having the attention span of a puppy—my thoughts jumping from one distraction to the next.

The Apostle Paul taught the Corinthian believers of the need for discipline and self-control.  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air” (1 Cor. 9:24-26).

When we approach our writing time with a careless attitude, we are “running aimlessly” and “beating the air.” Paul knew that ministry without Christ-centered focus would ultimately fail, and his witness would suffer. “No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (V.27).

A fruitful writing ministry is grounded in discipline and in the relentless seeking of the heart of God.

And the joy from such a ministry will spill over and change the world.

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control (Prov. 25:28).

As we consider our writing life over the past few days, are we plagued by a lack of discipline? How can we be better stewards of our time?