Episode #319 The Gift of Focused Attention – Everyday Awake

Hey, friends. Sometimes I think worship means singing songs or reading scripture or praying. And yes, it's all of those things. But I'm learning that one of the holiest parts of worship might be attention. What we focus on shapes us. And personally, it's easy for my attention to scatter. Even in the midst of praying or singing songs or reading my Bible. My attention is pulled towards emails and reminders and dishes and phone scrolling, and the next thing, and the next thing and the thing after that. But God doesn't compete for our attention. He invites it. And when I pause long enough to actually look toward him, something incredible happens.

I think about moments with my kids when one of them wants to tell me a story and they can tell if I'm actually listening while typing a text or really seeing them and giving them my full attention. The moment when I turn towards them, the energy changes, and that's what happens in the presence of God, too. Not for him, but for us. When I stop nodding in God's general direction and actually turn my eyes toward him and give him my attention, I am constantly astounded at what he shares with me.

In 2 Corinthians 3:16–18 it says, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Now in Paul's day, he's referencing Moses, how Moses' face glowed after meeting with God and how he wore a veil so the Israelites wouldn't see the glory fade. Paul says that through Christ, that veil is gone. We don't approach God at a distance. We live unveiled, us and the Lord. We belong together, through Jesus, face to face.

The Greek word for “beholding” can also mean “reflecting”, like looking in a mirror. In other words, what we gaze upon, we begin to mirror. I'm sure you can see how that's true in your own life in other circumstances, too. The things that we give our attention to, influence what our lives look like. Or said another way, our lives reflect what we give attention to.

Now, this isn't about striving, it's about staying. Transformation comes from focus, not force, because it's God who does the transforming work in us. I love how clearly that's highlighted in verse 18 from what I just read. “And we, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed … This comes from the Lord who is the spirit.”

If that is new to you, I encourage you to check out the link for my Captivated Playbook here in the show notes. It's a resource that helps you engage with God through your Bible reading, positioning yourself for him to do his transforming work in you. For a lot of my years as a believer, I thought I was responsible for doing the transforming work. That if I were to gaze or glance at the Lord, it was then my responsibility to figure out how to mirror him to the world. But that's not what Scripture tells us. As we behold him, as we give our attention to him, as we focus on him, and experience him, he transforms us.

What we pay attention to matters because we put into action what we see and receive from the Lord. So obedience doesn't start with doing. It starts with looking. When you lift your attention between errands, during your commute and the quiet before bed, in a tense moment raising one of your children, you are already worshiping.

Turning towards God isn't something you have to squeeze into a set portion of your day. Yes, have dedicated time to draw near to him. And also, turning towards God is what happens when you open your heart to experience him in any moment of your day.

And so let's not let this episode end here just with the things I'm sharing with you. The most important part of every Good God Talks episode is not what you hear from me, but is what you get to hear from the Lord as you continue this conversation with him.

And so here's a question that you can take to God today:

God, where do you want my attention today?

Then take action based on what he shares with you.

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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