Another way we can reduce the amount of stress in our lives is by learning to focus on one thing at a time. Sometimes we can feel like we’re being pulled in different directions. People constantly tried to do this to Jesus and distract Him from His goal in life. The Bible says, ‘At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them’ (v. 42 NIV). Jesus was about to leave, but they tried to make Him stay. Here’s how He responded: ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom…to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’ He refused to be distracted by less important matters. People tried to interrupt Him, because they had other plans for His life. But He was focused on His goal – fulfilling God’s purpose for Him. And He kept on doing what He knew God had told Him to do. He was determined. He was persistent. He was focused. We can learn from this. When we have a load of different things to do, we need to pick the most important one and stick with it until it’s complete. Then pick the second most important and do the same thing, until we’ve completed the list. When we diffuse our efforts we’re ineffective; when we concentrate our efforts we’re more successful. Jesus didn’t let interruptions prevent Him from concentrating on His goal. He didn’t let others make Him tense or stressed or irritated. And He is our example.

What Now?

Write out a to-do list for the day. Then mark which task is your top priority. Try and work on that one until it’s completed.