Psalm 23:1

I grew up memorizing Psalm 23:1 as "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

This morning I read this verse out of a New Living Translation Bible and the difference in the wording was enough to get me to really sink my teeth into that verse.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need."

It got me thinking, "What do I really need in this life?"

Obviously, food, water, sleep, etc. But, I don't believe that is what this verse is really getting at. Yes, we need these things, but are they the most important?

If there really is a God; if the bible is really true; if there really is a sin issue with mankind; if there really is a judgement against me for death because of my sin issue; if Jesus is the only way to change my death sentence into eternal life, then, what I need is more than anything else in the world is JESUS.

Having all my material, nutritional, physical, emotional needs met is secondary in importance if we are eternal, spiritual beings with a destiny choice of either heaven or hell.

I need Jesus and more of him!

As a mother, as a homeschool teacher, as a wife, as a member of a community I have many roles and responsibilities. Sometimes, I get lost in the ways of the world, in the opinions of others, in the busyness of life, in the expectations of others, and in my own secret hurts and failures. When I am lost; I lose focus on what is important, I lose direction, I over-compensate, I revert back to old habits, I take over. I want to be in control. I want to go my own way.

As I wrote in my journal this morning, and wrestled through my failings in this area, my focus for my upcoming year became clear to me. First of all, I realized I need more Jesus, my eyes firmly on him. I need to continue to be in his word and to learn to follow better as he leads. Secondly, as a mother and a homeschool teacher, I need to teach my children how to do the same.

My focus for 2012 boils down to four words:

Deliberate Instruction
Consistent Example

If I stay close to Jesus, I can teach my kids to do the same. It's the most important thing for us all. Yes, we will cover math, science, history, etc. But, if I have all of these without teaching the love of - and for - Jesus or teaching them how to follow the Good Shepherd, then, I have failed in my true calling.

What's your focus for 2012? Have you given it any thought? Does it line up with what is most important?