Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 76 – Focus

Edition  76

Focus

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Father God, it’s easy to focus on things that drag us away from intimate relationship with You; teach us to turn our focus onto You. Amen.
Introduction
Years ago, I taught a friend to ride down steep declines on her mountain bike. We approached a simple obstacle: a car-wide gravel road with a small dip – down and up – short enough for me to run alongside her. On the far side stood a tree stump in the middle of the road, with plenty of room on either side to pass.
“Don’t focus on the tree stump,” I instructed my terrified friend. “Focus on a route around it and cycle past.” She nodded understanding. Off we went – me running beside her, hand lightly on her saddle for reassurance. Down the decline we went – perfect! Up the incline – BANG! She rode straight into the tree stump. I crashed into her back like a bug hitting a windscreen, certain I’d broken my nose.
Despite clear instructions, despite ample space to pass, despite my guidance – she hit the very obstacle she was trying to avoid. Why? Because she focused on it. The tree stump filled her vision, dominated her thoughts, magnetised her trajectory. Where focus goes, we follow. What we fixate on, we move toward. The obstacle she feared became the destination she chose.
This principle governs more than mountain biking. List the bad things happening in our world – the list flows easily, endlessly. Now list the good things – somehow it’s harder, requires more thought. We’ve trained our focus on obstacles, problems, impossibilities. We’re experts at cataloguing why we CAN’T serve God: not enough time, talent, resources, knowledge. We’ve become spiritual cyclists, eyes locked on the tree stump, heading straight for the crash we claim to be avoiding.
Chat Point 1
  1. How would you describe the difference between focusing on obstacles versus focusing on opportunities in faith?
  2. What “tree stumps” in your spiritual journey tend to capture your attention and derail your progress?
  3. Why do you think negative things are easier to list and remember than positive ones?
  4. How does fear influence what we focus on, and how does focus influence where we end up?
  5. What connection exists between our focus and our faith-filled (or faithless) actions?
Read
Philippians 3:12-21; Philippians 4:8-9; Psalm 105:4; Psalm 123:2
Key Focus
Psalm 123:2 – “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out for you about Paul’s single-minded focus in Philippians 3?
  2. How does the imagery in Psalm 123:2 challenge our casual approach to focusing on God?
  3. Why do we tend to focus on “tree stumps” rather than the clear path God provides?
  4. What’s the difference between occasionally glancing at God and fixing our eyes on Him?
  5. How can we practically shift our focus from obstacles to opportunities in daily life?
Final Thought
Two simple sentences contain revolutionary power:
  • If you focus on why you CANNOT do things for the Lord – you will never do anything.
  • If you focus on why you SHOULD and CAN do things for the Lord – you will do many things.
My friend’s crash wasn’t caused by the tree stump. It was caused by her focus. The obstacle had no power to pull her toward it, yet she steered directly into what she stared at. This is the devastating truth about spiritual focus: we become what we behold, we move toward what we meditate on, we achieve what we aim at.
Philippians 4:8 provides God’s prescription for focus: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This isn’t positive thinking or denial of problems. It’s strategic focus. God knows that what captures our attention captures us.
The slave imagery in Psalm 123:2 seems harsh to modern ears, but it perfectly captures the intensity of focus God desires. Slaves watched their master’s hand for every gesture, every signal, their survival depending on catching each nuance. Their focus wasn’t casual or occasional – it was constant, urgent, necessary. “So our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.”
Consider what God focused on for your salvation. He didn’t catalogue reasons why humanity wasn’t worth saving. He didn’t list obstacles to redemption. He focused wholeheartedly on the solution – His Son Jesus Christ. Every prophecy pointed there. Every sacrifice foreshadowed it. Every promise led to the cross. God’s focus never wavered from your salvation.
A person who truly focuses on God cannot resist serving God in tangible ways. It’s impossible to fix your eyes on the Creator and remain inactive. Focus on His holiness, and you’ll pursue purity. Focus on His love, and you’ll extend compassion. Focus on His mission, and you’ll engage in ministry. The tree stumps remain – lack of time, limited resources, personal weaknesses – but they no longer determine your direction.
The world makes focusing on problems effortless. Bad news dominates headlines. Failures overshadow successes. Obstacles appear larger than opportunities. But God calls us to deliberate, disciplined focus on Him. Not because problems don’t exist, but because He is bigger than every obstacle. When we focus on the One who spoke worlds into existence, our “cannots” transform into “cans,” our excuses evaporate into action.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Holy Spirit, ignite within us a passion to stop faking our relationship and live lives fully focused on Your grace. Amen.
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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. What specific “tree stump” have you been focusing on that’s preventing forward movement in your faith?
  2. How can you practically shift your daily focus from obstacles to God’s opportunities?
  3. What tangible service will naturally flow from genuinely focusing on God this week?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"