Betty: I’ve prayed with people who say, “I will never be like my father” or “I will never be like my mother.” For example, if the father was an alcoholic and the son decides he will never be like his father. That boy gets focused in. His model is not Christ Jesus. His model then is not to be like his dad. There is no power, no grace that comes to him in that hate decision. He is putting down his dad. His focus is turned around. If he could only learn that while maybe he was hurt by his dad, he could let go of his resentment, and go to the mercy of God and let God judge him. He needs to turn away from judgment. Because the Scripture says, “Judge not and ye shall not be judged.” (Matthew 7:1). The son needs to turn away from his dad and his mom and look instead to the mercy of God and look towards Jesus. Instead of saying, “I am not going to be like somebody, rather say, “I want to be like Jesus.” Let Jesus be your focus.

In Matthew 6:22, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. “Jesus is not so much talking about the physical eyes, but about where we put our attention and where we put our focus in the moment. What do we focus on? What is it that you think about the most? What kind of images go through your head? What kind of feelings? Where is your lamp? The lamp of your body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. So, if, moment by moment, we keep turning our focus toward the Son, then our whole body will be filled with His presence and His presence is Light.

Is there anyone in your life that you’ve made a strong negative judgment on not to be like them? Instead of saying, “I am not going to be like somebody, rather say, “I want to be like Jesus.” Let Jesus be your focus.