Daily Devotional: Making God My Focus

David A. Case
Jan 6
4 min read

By David A. Case

Life Sayings:

Whatever has my attention has my heart.
My focus will determine my future.
What I worship is what I will become.

“No one can serve two masters...” (Matthew 6:24a, NKJV)

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2, NKJV)

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5, NKJV)

Jesus made the issue clear: no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Two masters means divided loyalty, divided attention, and divided obedience. Over time, division always resolves into devotion to one and resistance to the other. The heart cannot stay split. The direction of my focus will determine who ends up in charge.

This is why “follow your heart” sounds freeing, yet it becomes a trap. When my primary focus is self and what I want, I remain the master of my life. The sin nature is too strong for self to remain in control without drifting into selfishness. Selfishness cannot make the sacrifices needed to walk in love. Self-focus eventually produces a life that falls short of what God intends.

God becomes my master only when God becomes my primary focus. The safest question I can live from is simple: What does God want?

Romans 8 explains why this matters so much. Romans 8:2 declares that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes me free from the law of sin and death. Freedom is not willpower. Freedom is a different law operating inside. Romans 8:5 shows where the battle gets fought: those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The only way to live a totally different life than the past would forecast is to change the master by changing the focus. A God focus is the only stable place to live.

Focus is not a small topic. Focus is life and death.

This is why worship is not a side activity. Worship is intense focus. Whatever gets the most significant attention becomes an idol, even when it looks respectable. God commands worship not because He is insecure, but because He knows what worship does to the human heart. We become like what we worship. When self is worshiped, the heart grows darker and more selfish. When God is worshiped, the heart gets transformed into His selfless character.

This kind of focus is not maintained by good intentions alone. Sometimes focus changes only when the body changes. A change of environment matters. Worship music can help redirect attention. Scripture memorization matters because what gets put into the system shapes what comes out. Focus must be guarded. Focus must be practiced. Focus must become a lifestyle of worship.

Where I set my attention today determines what grows in me tomorrow. God is ready to lead me into life and peace. My responsibility is to keep returning to His voice, His Word, and His will until He is not simply a part of my life but the center of it.

Reflection Question

What has been my dominant focus during the last 24 hours, and what kind of future is that focus quietly building?

Prayer

Father, I bring my attention back to You. I confess how easily my focus drifts toward self and what I want. Take Your rightful place as Lord over my spirit, my thoughts, my emotions, and my choices. Teach me to ask, “What do You want?” and to obey what You show me. Replace divided loyalty with a single eye and a steady heart. Let Your Spirit shape my focus into worship, and let that worship produce life and peace in me. Amen.

Today’s Step of Obedience

Choose one practical focus change you will make today that involves your body, not only your thoughts. Turn off one source of distraction for a set time, change your location if needed, and spend ten minutes with Romans 8:2 and Romans 8:5. Read them aloud, then write one sentence beginning with, “Today, I will set my mind on the things of the Spirit by…” and complete it with one specific action you will do before the day ends.

Get Heart Change

If this message has helped you reflect on the role of focus in your spiritual life, I encourage you to go deeper with The Heart Change Handbook. It offers practical, biblical insight into how focus, worship, and heart direction shape both personal growth and generational impact. This resource is well suited for individual study and for use in church small groups or faith-based recovery communities. Consider purchasing a copy for yourself and sharing it with others who desire lasting heart change.