There are a lot of distractions in this world, and we can just tune everything out and scroll. But what are we paying attention to?
We selectively pay attention to things and probably do that more often than we think.
With this right now world we have so many things at our fingertips and can zone out at any point.
We could be in the middle of a project and stop to take a quick break and we find ourselves mindlessly scrolling on our phones and the next thing we know its been 30 minutes.
We could be in the middle of talking with someone and not know what they are saying, because our attention as moved on to something else without even knowing it.
We have input overload all the time because it’s there its convenient. But we can’t successfully recharge because we don’t really allow ourselves to. We are always filling our time.
Psalm 127:2 says, It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Have you ever been reading a book and suddenly you realize you have no idea what you were reading? What were you paying attention to? Not a clue so you start again…it can be hard to stay focused sometimes.
Nehemiah 8:8 reads, They read from the book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
How many times do you think they had to repeat themselves when going over these Laws because some weren't paying attention.
Can you imagine being Moses... in the Bible, God chose to give all the details to about the Ark and the Temple to be built for the Ark and God says…. pay close attention to all I tell you because you will have to go tell others. There are so many details, and personally I would be scared I would forget or zone out. But this is God, so we better pay attention…. would you be able to do that? I’d try but I would struggle.
There would be times I would study for tests and be focusing so much on trying to remember that I would forget what I just studied. I was pay attention to the wrong thing.
What we pay attention to gives us motivation and keeps us going. How productive are you? How often do you need to refocus? What are you looking at or doing in those moments?
Where you focus us drives you to what you are doing daily and so we need to take moments to reset and think about what the Lord has for you today.
First and foremost, God is who we should be paying attention to and secondly His word is what we should be taking in every day.
What we pay attention to is important because we can become so consumed with things we shouldn't. We can scroll social media as a distraction but what are we looking at?
There is a limit to the amount of time that you have daily so choose carefully what it is you are paying attention to, we need to be more productive in our attention so we are able to get things done.
I think we should focus on and pay attention to our values and what matters most to us. Spend time each day living out those values. Ask God to guide your thoughts, your mind and your steps so that you can keep your attention on what He has for you and what he wants you to do.
One of the most important decisions you make everyday is what to pay attention to. What should you focus on and what should we filter out? Not everything that gets our attention deserves our attention.
Isaiah 28:23 - Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.
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