The Concentration Principle

Last week I spoke about relational thinking: doing the daily activities of life while relating it to your purpose in life - to glorify God. I contrasted it with terminal thinking: just going through the motions of life without any thought to "why."

There is a very powerful principle that helps make relational thinking a more consistent reality. It is called the Concentration Principle. The Concentration Principle can be defined as "whatever captures a person's mind captures them and becomes their true objective." This principle is always in operation, whether we are aware of it or not.

Jesus summed it up nicely when He said, "Where your treasure is, there is your heart also."

What is it you treasure? What is it that captures your heart and mind? What do you spend most of your time thinking about, worrying about, dreaming about? What gets you out of bed each morning looking ahead to the day? What is it that burns inside you that you just must do?

Whatever "it" is, that is what you are becoming. That is what is being concentrated into your life. In other words, you can determine what "it" is by looking honestly at your life now. What you are right now is the product of what has been your driving force recently.

None of us have arrived, have we? It is very easy to get distracted by everything in our life that is shouting for our attention. The challenge is to give more and more of our attention to our relationship with God. That comes as we our willing to connect with God and allow Him to renew our mind. Only then will His treasure become our treasure.

Scripture: Romans 12: 1,2 - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Action Point: Evaluate where you are right now and ask yourself the question, "What is it that motivates all I do? Is it to glorify God or is it something else?"

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