Yesterday, we talked about training our minds to focus on the positive. Today, I want to encourage you with Jesus’ formula for changing your thoughts. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says some amazing things, including giving this encouragement, “if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Pay special attention to the word body in that verse. In other words, we need to train our eyes to see light, and to focus on it, so that our bodies will be full of life. What we think about affects our health and the function of our entire body.

Here’s an example. Let’s imagine that you attend church in a majestic old building. As you enter, there are many beautiful things to focus on, such a stained glass windows, an ornate altar and intricate artwork. Those things are full of light, but there are dark things there too. There are shadows, chipped paint, missing tiles and the smell of must. When you sit down to worship, you have a choice about what to focus on. Are you going to absorb the beauty of the worship experience or be distracted by the imperfections? This is the case with much of our existence in life. You don’t have to deny that the wear and tear is there in order to focus on the beauty of the experience.

When you focus on good things, it helps you to let go of the “missing tiles,” or some of the things in your life you wish you had. Training your eyes to see the light brings health and wholeness to your entire being.