Mastering Focus as We Walk by Faith

Living by faith is both a science and an art due to the interplay between objective truths and subjective experiences that characterize the faith journey. Faith is grounded in the objective truths of Scripture. Just as science relies on established laws and principles, living by faith involves understanding and applying biblical truths. This includes doctrines such as God’s character (i.e., He is righteous, merciful, loving, gracious, etc.), claiming His promises (i.e., He provides, never leaves, etc.), and the walk of faith that obeys God’s directives as they relate to life (i.e., marriage, education, finances, etc.). Just as scientific methods yield consistent results when applied correctly, living by faith produces reliable outcomes in the believer’s life. When principles of faith are properly and consistently applied—such as trust in God during trials or the practice of Bible study and prayer—believers can expect to experience spiritual growth, peace, and guidance. The art of living by faith involves the personal, subjective experience of our walk with God. Each believer’s journey is unique, with individual responses to challenges they face. How God dealt with Abraham was different than Jeremiah, who was different than Paul or John. Faith requires creativity in how one applies biblical truths to everyday life. And though each passage of Scripture has only one meaning, the applications can be many.

Driving a car provides a good analogy. Just as driving requires an intuitive understanding of the vehicle’s controls—such as the ignition, steering wheel, gas pedal, and brakes—living by faith involves a personal, instinctive grasp of God’s guidance and promises. While knowing how to operate the car is crucial (science), a skilled driver must also be attuned to the nuances of the road, traffic patterns, and weather conditions (art). When driving properly, a driver must navigate obstacles—like road construction, detours, changes in weather, or sudden stops—which requires quick adjustments and creative solutions. This mirrors how believers face challenges in life, needing to adapt their faith to their own circumstances.

Renovating the Mind

At the moment of salvation, apart from the basics of the gospel, the believer’s mind is generally saturated with worldly thinking that needs to be expunged and replaced with divine viewpoint thinking via God’s Word. This renovation of the mind happens as we prioritize the intake and application of God’s Word to every aspect of life (i.e., education, marriage, finances, work, etc.). This means obeying the directive, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2). In this way, we are “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph 5:10), and to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). The walk of faith is what God expects of us, as He says, “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38), which we know pleases Him (Heb 11:6). As growing Christians who want to walk with the Lord, we need “the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph 3:10) rather than “the wisdom of this world” (1 Cor 3:19).

The process of cognitive renovation is a lifelong pursuit that involves aligning our thinking and actions with biblical truth. It emphasizes the consistent intake and application of God’s Word as the foundation for spiritual growth and stability. This mindset enables us to make sound decisions based on God’s Word, respond effectively to challenges, and develop the capacity to live spiritually. It involves evaluating life based on objective truths derived from Scripture, rather than relying on emotions, experiences, or sinful self-interests. Such orientation is essential for maintaining spiritual integrity and resisting negative influences that can neutralize our spiritual walk.

Learning and living are always a two-step process, as we cannot effectively live what we do not properly know. However, learning God’s Word is no guarantee that we will live by it, for it is possible to “know the right thing to do and not do it” (Jam 4:17). Living by faith necessitates both the content and continuity of divine viewpoint thinking. The content of the Bible provides the basis for a stable mind, while the continuity of divine viewpoint thinking enables the perpetuation of that stability, assuming the believer is claiming biblical promises rather than living in fear and applying God’s directives as an obedient believer rather than living selfishly or by worldly values. In this way, we prove ourselves “doers of the word, and not merely hearers” who are deceived (Jam 1:22). This process demands years of learning and living according to God’s Word, allowing us to master the details of life.

Because we live in a fallen world that is filled with sinful people, it’s natural that we will experience conflicts that will disrupt us and potentially knock us off course. God is aware of these difficulties and uses them to humble and teach us (Deut 8:1-5) and to help us grow in our walk with Him (Rom 5:3-4; Jam 1:2-4). As we face difficulties—and it’s inevitable that we will—we must learn to be flexible and adapt to our situations. Interestingly, ocean surfers learn to reorient their bodies while on their surf board in order to master unpredictable waves, which can be strong and threatening. Skilled surfers don’t fight the waves; instead, they adjust their stance and movements in response to the changing conditions. Training and agility are key to adaptability and resilience, while rigidity guarantees a crash. In the same way, Christians facing difficulties can learn to “ride the waves” of life by trusting in God’s provisions and guidance. Rather than being overwhelmed by circumstances, they can rely on biblical principles to find their balance and direction. Just as mastering surfing takes years of practice, so does learning and living according to God’s Word.

A Focused Mind

When we face difficulties in life, the first area to be affected is our thinking. Having a focused mind that is properly calibrated to God’s Word is crucial for living successfully as a Christian. When Jeremiah faced the crisis of Jerusalem’s destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., he experienced psychological and emotional disequilibrium, saying, “My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the LORD” (Lam 3:17-18). Here, Jeremiah was close to total despair. Huey states, Jeremiah “reached the lowest ebb of despair in verse 18 with the declaration that all his hope in the Lord had been destroyed…The sufferings were so deeply impressed in the heart of the victim that he found himself constantly thinking about them. His memory left him depressed and despondent.”^[1] It’s natural that a believer would feel overwhelmed in a crisis. But God does not expect us to stay there mentally, but to rise above our feelings and circumstances and live by faith. Jeremiah, in his crisis, intentionally focused his thoughts on the Lord, declaring, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope” (Lam. 3:21). Jeremiah took control of his thoughts and chose to think on the Lord. His specific reflections were, “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23). Dyer correctly notes, “This one thought crowded out the hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm him.”^[2] One promise from the Lord is enough to reorient and recalibrate our thinking to produce cognitive and emotional equilibrium. According to Radmacher, “As long as we contemplate our troubles, the more convinced we will become of our isolation, our hopelessness, our inability to extricate ourselves from the present trouble. But when we focus on the Lord, we are able finally to rise above, rather than to suffer under, our troubles.”^[3]

Interestingly, cats have a remarkable ability to reorient themselves in mid-air when falling awkwardly. This ability, known as the “cat righting reflex,” allows them to reorient their bodies in mid-air to ensure a softer landing. As Christians, when we find ourselves in awkward moments where we feel like we’re falling out of control, we must learn and practice to reorient quickly so that God’s Word softens our landing. As growing Christians, it’s inevitable that we will face difficulties in life. Sometimes these difficulties are intended to correct us (such as when we are outside of God’s will), and other times to perfect us (such as when God uses suffering to help us grow spiritually). Therefore, it’s important that “we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5a), and that we set our minds “on things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col 3:2). This means we frame life from the divine perspective, imprison harmful thoughts, and reorient our minds to think on God and His Word. This requires the intentional discipline of both mind and will as we focus on God rather than on troubling situations.

Maintaining focus is central to our walk of faith, and the advancing Christian makes learning God’s Word the number one priority above all other aspects of life. Strong faith is developed by a disciplined mental attitude. The essence of faith is to trust God’s character and His promises without wavering, regardless of circumstances. The Bible tells us that Abraham “grew strong in faith” (Rom 4:20), and this because He focused on the “the promise of God…being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform” (Rom 4:20-21). When distractions, doubts, or worldly concerns pull our attention away from God and biblical thinking, our capacity to believe and rest in His promises diminishes, and our relaxed mental attitude is forfeited.

The foundation of faith lies in the fact that God made promises and does not fail to uphold His Word. God has integrity, and His perfect and infallible nature guarantees the fulfillment of His Word. As Scripture affirms, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). Of course He will! He’s the Lord God! Samuel said, “the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (1 Sam 15:29). Furthermore, we are told that “It is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18; cf., Tit 1:2). These verses demonstrate that God’s very nature ensures the truth of His promises. Because we know God’s Word and trust Him completely, our faith can be strong, for we know, “He who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). God is true and His Word can be trusted.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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^[1] F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations, vol. 16, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 472.

^[2] Charles H. Dyer, “Lamentations,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1217.

^[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 951.