What we choose to focus our attention on can have a profound effect on our state of mind and our inner well-being. I like how Corrie Ten Boom puts it: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God you’ll be at rest.”1
If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed
When I look at the world we live in I can only weep because of its brokenness, sufferings, and evil. Our world is clearly broken because of sin; which has taken over in every corner of our planet. Because of sin everything has gone haywire. Just look at what’s going on in Ukraine and tell me our world is not broken. Suffering is not only part of man’s condition in life but it manifests itself in so many different ways. Millions die each year through famine, cancer and Covid are international blights on society, and death is sadly an unwelcome visitor to all of us. And as far as evil goes just look at the following words that describe what takes place among so-called civilization: slavery, holocaust, and genocide. It clearly is hard not to be distressed when we look at the world.
If you look within, you’ll be depressed
When I look within myself I see how evil the flesh can be. Even as a Christian now for 40 years I still struggle with sinful desires that wage war within me. While I have gotten victory over many of my past sinful actions and thoughts, I still must constantly be on guard lest the flesh get the better of me. I sometimes think about what must go on inside the mind and heart of the unregenerate man who is constantly held captive to his sinful desires. No wonder so many people in our world today are depressed when they look inside themselves because they have no real joy or peace and no real hope for tomorrow; let alone eternity.
If you look at God you’ll be at rest
But praise God the great antidote for both of these sad looks is found in turning our total attention to Jesus. I love what it says in (Colossians 3:1-2): “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” When we set our hearts and minds on Jesus not only will we get rest for our weary souls but peace and joy will also flood our innermost being.
I know that before I gave my heart to Jesus at age 28 I was always distressed and depressed and had no rest. But now as I gaze at the beauty of the Lord my soul is not only at rest but I know that the best is yet to come. For one day soon when the Lord calls me home I will enter into eternal rest and bliss in the very presence of Jesus!
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY CORRIE TEN BOOM (of 175) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)