From an early age, one of Jesus’ characteristics was His single-minded focus. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes: fleeting thoughts, overheard conversations, background noise, emails, phone calls, knocks on the door. All these and more can keep us from focusing on the person or task in front of us. What can you learn from Jesus’ focus? How will you guard your heart and mind today in order to stay focused?
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”—Luke 2:49
Prayer: Jesus, show me how to order my day and my life so that I stay focused on the main thing: seeking and fulfilling the Father’s will. When I am dealing with people, I want to show them they are a priority to me (and to You). When I am dealing with tasks, I want to honor God in the way I do them. Help me, I ask in Your name, amen.
When you have learned to understand how to “Genuinely Care” about others there is but a minuscule difference between Family/Friends and Strangers as they are ALL important to you and you therefore get genuinely emotionally invested in their overall well-being and there is no more doubt or uncertainty about the root of your acts towards others, but rather a personal “Drive” that is clear as day to do good simply because you absolutely want to with No “Strings Attached” as we are ALL One and there is no stronger conviction than that really as soon as you understand that. There are some great expressions and examples in German actually and they are as follows:
Schadenfreude= The joy of others despair
Schaden-Schade= Sorrow/Despair at others despair
Freuden-freude = Joy of others Luck/Happiness
Freuden-Schade = Despair of others luck or happiness/contentment
Everything boils down to How YOU see these things and how you feel about it with regards to others well-being.
Do you feel good when something terrible happens to someone else because it was fortunate that it didn’t happen to YOU or do you feel terrible(Deep down)
Are you “Really” happy when someone else gets really lucky, or just when seeing some stranger that seems really happy?
These simple expressions really define who and What you are i believe.