Week 31: Fixing your focus in midlife
- cindystumme
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
Reflections on Psalms 48 and how our midlife mindset determines our midlife endurance.
I'm not going to lie--midlife is exhausting. Maybe you have tried the diets, yoga, hormone balancing supplements, gratitude journals, breathwork . . . all the things Instagram says will boost your energy and calm your spirit, but nothing has really changed. You are still weary.
Let me encourage you to try one more thing: fix your focus.
Where's your focus?
So often we expect the circumstances around us to bring joy and peace. My gratitude journal is full of entries that reflect my regular experiences of midlife: a fun camping trip with husband Jack, a good talk with a friend, a phone call from one of my kids . . . all great things and worth thanking God for!
But most of the things I am thankful for are also temporal. A fun weekend of camping only exists in the moment it was experienced or as a memory to look back on. It's enjoyable and gives me a little break from reality, but camping itself provides little sustaining power for moving forward on my journey. You see, I still have to return home to my normal life and tasks.
You see, God hasn't called us to seek comfort in the here and now, but to live courageously in these midlife years so that we can make a difference for Him! If that's our goal, we need to fix our eyes--and our praise--firmly on God rather than on our temporal circumstances.
A better focal point
The Psalms teach us exactly how to refocus and where to fix our eyes: on Zion.
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
Beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.
(Psalm 48:1-2, NIV)
The term Zion has a multifaceted meaning in the scriptures. It refers to the mountain on which Solomon built the temple, originally a fortress conquered by King David (you can read about it in 2 Samuel 5:5-9). When the temple was built and God's presence filled it, the meaning of Zion expanded to represent the place where God dwells.
Later, when the people of God were unfaithful and God allowed them to be conquered, the prophets spoke of Zion as the fulfillment of the promise of God to gather His people back to land of Israel and once again dwell among them, a prophecy that foreshadowed not only the rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel, but the future establishment of the Messiah's rule and reign over all the earth someday.
When Jesus came to earth, He made it possible for believers to access Zion now by removing the barrier between God and humans--sin--by His death on the cross. We now have spiritual access to the very throne room of God through the Holy Spirit and prayer:
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24, NIV)
But Zion has even one more layer of meaning: the promise of eternity spent in the presence of God which every believer in Christ receives.
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,
and He will dwell with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them as their God.
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’
and there will be no more death
or mourning or crying or pain,
for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:3-4, NIV)
A Zion focus in midlife
Have you been getting distracted by the pains or even the pleasures of midlife, friend? Both can be a problem for the woman who wants to make a difference for God in her family and community. If we want to stay faithful, if we want to keep going even when we are tired, and if we want to be effective even when we feel discouraged, the psalmist tells us what to fix our hearts and minds on: Zion.
Zion reminds us that the God who brought the nation of Israel to Promised Land and dwelt with them in both the tabernacle and the temple is the same God who watches over us today. Zion reminds us that the same Jesus who broke the barrier between God and mankind still lives to intercede for us. And Zion reminds us that the God who loved us and sent Christ to redeem us has promised that we will someday live with Him forever. When we focus on Zion, life's problems retreat to the periphery and we are able to move into God's purpose for us in midlife with strength and endurance.
Friend, the answer to spiritual weariness in midlife isn't temporal. It's eternal. Read through Psalm 48, and picture yourself in Zion where all tears and pain are a thing of the past. Walk around, admire the beauty and workmanship of your forever home! Does that inspire hope? Then, take a moment to sing a song or pray a prayer of worship to the God who loves you and is with you always. Fix your focus on Him as He guides you through the challenges of midlife on your jouney to Zion.
Daily Readings and Reflections:
Monday’s Reading: Psalm 125
How are those who trust in the Lord described in verse 1? How is the protection of God described in verse two? How do these two descriptions encourage you to continue to pursue the purpose God has for you in midlfe instead of chasing temporal things?
Tuesday’s Reading: Psalm 48
Consider starting a praise journal or, if you already have a gratitude journal, make a praise entry instead today. Read through the psalm, then using it as a guide, write your own series of praises for God's sovereign care over your past, present, and future.
Wednesday’s Reading: Isaiah 51:1-8
Isaiah contrasts the fleeting nature of life and life's problems with God’s everlasting salvation and righteousness. What temporal comforts or distractions are you tempted to focus on instead of God’s eternal presence and power? How can you redirect your heart to Zion’s unshakable hope?
Thursday’s Reading: Micah 4:1-5
This is an amazing description of the future rule of Christ over the earth. How can you make Christ's authority a reality in your own life now? Think about each verse and how it applies to the way you live your life right now.
Friday’s Reading: Revelation 21:1-4
Read this passage and then spend a few minutes reflecting on what you are most looking forward to when Jesus comes back. Make a list that you can refer back to when you find this life exhausting. How does looking forward to eternity help you keep going in the present?
Weekend Reading: Psalm 47
Read this psalm of praise and take note of how it talks about the past, present and future promises associated with Zion. Read it out loud as a declaration of praise to encourage you today.
Want to read more Bible verses about knowing Jesus Christ as Savior? Here's a good place to start:
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