Focus is a powerful thing. Proper focus will keep you centered and on course regardless of intervening influences. Without it, you won’t reach your desired destination. Staying focused during a crisis, however, is easier said than done. In fact, staying focused to persevere through difficult circumstances is one of the hardest things you will ever do — especially when you’ve been caught off guard or hit with a flurry of unexpected blows.

If you’ve ever had to “hang in there” to see a dream or goal come to pass when you really felt like throwing in the towel, you’ve already discovered that your biggest fight is to hold yourself calm no matter what. It takes focus to maintain your confident expectation when everything around you begins to spiral downward, becoming the very opposite of what you envisioned. To get through that kind of crisis, you must simply keep moving forward. This is challenging to do — particularly when your world is reeling and you aren’t even sure which way is up, let alone forward. But in order to make progress and lay hold of your destiny, you have to toughen up and endure hardship, just like Jesus, who “for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the Cross, disregarding its shame” (see Hebrews 12:1-3).

Make God’s viewpoint the filter through which you see every situation. That will keep you focused.  You cannot deny the difficulties you face, but you CAN deny them the power to destroy you. Redirect your focus away from the difficulties and focus on the One who said: “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties…” (Isaiah 41:10 AMP).