May the Lord give each of us insight into his treasure of wisdom and knowledge
Today we will be looking at:
VITAL TOOLS FOR FOCUSING
In leadership and in life you need certain tools to make you maintain focus.We are in a world of distraction. It is the amount of distraction you are able to beat that will determine how far you’ll go. The biggest hindrance and undoing of a great destiny is distraction.
So one thing you should watch out for daily is factors positioned to distract you.
I will want us to look at 3 tools here.
1. Purpose
You must define your purpose clearly before embarking on any project whether ministry, relationship, career, etc.
Every other thing should be secondary
You don’t just define it well, you must use it to gauge the extent of distraction you allow to eat into your time: I mean your purpose.
Let me give examples here:
You began a relationship which you hope to get you into marriage. Along the line, if you’re not careful you might begin to live like boyfriend and girlfriend. This distraction can rob you of the ultimate purpose of settling the affair into marriage.
A second example like the above:
You have an employee on the job who is of the opposite sex. If you fail to keep reminding yourself of the purpose of association you may end up in each others embrace and this may affect the job relationship. So to keep focus, you must keep reminding yourself of the purpose.
In our strategic seminar today, we will be looking at some salient virtues in the life of David
DAVID
He told his brother: was there not a cause?
To remain focus you must know the cause and then stick to the cause.
1 Samuel 17:28-30 KJV
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. [29] And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? [30] And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
David was a young chap who found himself in battle. His elder brothers wanted to distract his built up drive to confront Goliath. But David refused to be distracted, he knew the cause.
Do you know the cause why you are in that business?
Do you know why many leaders lose focus?
They lose focus because they lose purpose
Purpose is what stabilizes your focus.
Have undying purpose and your focus will be laser.
Many African leaders of fine personality after getting into office lose focus and they act ignobly like those who were before them… The reason is that they are purposeless
The second point is like the first
2. Keep your vision red-hot
2. Keep your vision red-hot*
From your purpose you build a vision
The vision is like painting the end from the beginning. Purpose is the big picture while your vision is the intrinsic and careful visualization of what you intend.
Let me give you an example here of Joseph and myself… Both are similar.
Joseph while being tempted saw the end of sin as loss of favour of God and termination of destiny. Many people for lack of vision fall into sins and the attending consequences.
He saw and he flee
Moses saw the Excellency of Jehovah and he forsook the riches of Pharaoh. If your vision isn’t compelling you will fall by the way side.
Now here’s my example:
Some 17years ago I was a bloody bachelor?
I have the opportunity to live as I care or feel. But right there I do visualize the future… If I choose certain lifestyle some things will not add up on the day of reckoning.
I want to stand up and tell the next youth, this is the ancient path. The vision of the future kept me from my desire for inordinate affection.
Let’s move a little bit to corporate setting. When you get to organization that grows into the future you see things like:
Motto
Vision statements
Mission statements
Read about how to write a motto, vision statement and mission statement.
Then write your motto, vision and mission statement for your:
1. Career/Business/Ministry
2. Marriage
3. Academic
Etc
What these things does is they keep you focus.
In mega organizations. They don’t just have motto, vision and mission statements, they visually display it. This not just for decoration… They want to see it regularly and to be followed to avoid being distracted.
Let’s see this scriptures that summarizes the above.
Habakkuk 2:1-3 KJV
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. [2] And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. [3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
1. I will stand upon my watch… To get the purpose right and visualize the concept, conception, idea, product, etc
2. I will see to develop the vision in a lucid and clear form
Remember you cannot achieve a dream that is clouded.
This is a major making of failures… Running with unclear vision.
3. Make the vision resonate with divine agenda, purpose and goal. This is where lies the sustainability
4. Make it plain, discuss it, say it, make it into a banner.
Vision not communicated can never be achieved
Every great organization are communicator of vision.
5. The vision is for an appointed time
Keep following, don’t despair wait on it… Don’t be distracted.
6. Tarry, keep working on the vision relentlessly.
7. When a vision follows the above process, it will not lie but it will come to pass
Own a vision to follow.
A man without a vision is a man set for lots of distractions in quantum… It’s a miserable life to imagine
The last tool here is:
3. *Build Around Your Strength*
Your purpose and vision should resonate around your strength.
Recently my wife and I were talking about a line of business. She just said it loud and clear… We are no longer youths with strength to run around. I surrender after thinking through what she said.
You need to know:
1. Your physical strength
2. Health status
3. Mental capacity
4. Age
5. Financial strength
Etc.
If you do this well it will help you to focus well.
Jesus himself advised us to analyze our strength before commencing an enterprise or war
Luke 14:28-32 KJV
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
So if you know your strength you’ll know what to focus on and what not to.
A man with 1million will not dabble into a business of 10millions.
So knowing your strength conserve your strength for the real cause.
These are the major tools.
Other tools in summary
1. Focus on the tools you have or that’s available.
David used what he has. Many of us look down on what we have
Next week I will continue on other tools and to be expanded upon. Our time is fast spent.
I hope what we are learning here will make us indeed WORLD CHANGERS… Nothing less.
May the Lord make these words to bring forth in multiple folds within us in Jesus name.
The devil will not cloud our hearts with lies and profanity.
May we be focused to deliver our destinies in Jesus name.
