CONCENTRATION

Concentration--exclusive attention to one object; close mental application.

Life is full of distractions. What are some of those distractions for you? (news, friends, social media, politics, social events). So many things and activities can pull us back and forth in our lives coming from various directions.  Officiating is no different.  We can get distracted with evaluations (good and bad), plays we didn’t get right, fans, media, coaches, and even players.

We have to decide how to live and respond to each day. Our focus can’t be on past failures and past successes. Focusing on the past can keep us from moving forward.  Our concentration has to be this one thing: learn from the past, release it and embrace the future. God will empower you to do this one thing just as Paul stated that he did in Philippians 3.  Focus and persistence are necessary to release the past and to march into the future.

Paul focused his energy on one thing. He disciplined his life to release the past and to embrace the future God had for him……..

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)

The military definition of CONCENTRATION is the assembling of military or naval forces in a particular area in preparation for further operations. Taking from the military meaning of concentration, when we go into our game this week, keep our concentration on the field—in our area.  Don’t let distractions of our life or our surroundings keep us from performing our responsibilities at the highest level. 

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
--Alexander Graham Bell