Are You Paying Attention?

 Do ever have difficulty paying attention, staying on task and not getting distracted. Do you start for the garage dreading to begin that chore that was put off for the last decade and halfway there stop to check your email? Before you know it eight o'clock has turned to twelve and it is time for lunch. I never seem to get distracted from that. A familiar story to way too many of us.

One of those all too common traits that seems to afflict all of us North American human beings. When it comes to car keys, chores and groceries, those O' so very, very necessary elements of our life, that reminds me, Facebook, we seem to work overtime to stay on task, and when we stray it grieves us. But when it comes to the things of God, prayer, quiet time, fellowship etc. they often seem to be left without great concern. It's a matter of what we are paying attention to.

I believe every one of us humans have an attention deficit when it comes to the things of God.We become distracted by a million and one things screaming for our attention, they seem important at the time, but if left undone our life really wouldn't change that much. All the while, there in the background is a “still small voice” jumping up and down in the back row, saying “pick me, pick me”. The still small voice of our conscious, spirit, God Almighty, whatever you choose to call Him, trying to get our attention on the things that really make our life, our soul and the things that will last forever. How is it that we “consistently” fail to pay attention to these eternal things.

I believe we become unwilling to pay the price of admission. I did call it PAY attention.

We really do PAY for what we PAY attention to,we will also be PAID for we PAY attention to. There are tangible and intangible benefits to what we PAY attention to, for the good or the bad.

What are you paying attention to?

There are lots of things provided by God for humans to do all day long, like "sleeping, eating, drinking, making love, playing, praying, working." But, to focus on these "second things" and neglect "first things" such as worshiping and loving God is to be "too easily pleased."

Let me make a statement, since I can't figure out the transition.

Everything is worship.

Everything has to do with worship.
Some ignore that idea, or never thought of it before, but I dare you to dispute it, or propose something that is not related to worship. Changing your tire is worship if you can do it without cussing and throwing the jack handle across the street.
1Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
“do all to the glory of God.”

The Greek word for worship means to kiss towards. What we kiss towards is where our true affections lay, and it reveals what we are worshiping. What we focus our attentions on is what we are worshiping.

Everything is worship.
.....(Jesus said to Satan) 'you shall worship the LORD your GOD,

and HIM only you shall serve.' "Matthew 4:10

You are PAYING attention here, but are you letting attention pay you...??

John Donne (1656) said we are tenants and renters here but it is God who pays us... His grace mercy and benefits are poured out on each one of us that draws breath. The more attention we pay the more we will be paid for our attention. The things of God will be poured into our life to the degree that we seek them, or pay attention to them.

I am trying to pay attention to the eternal things but there are so many distractions. Even worrying about paying attention and the lack of it in my life is a distraction.

The more I pay attention to God's things, the more it will PAY me.

Galatians 6:7 says: No matter what you believe... You reap what you sow.

NEWS FLASH- Paul the APOSTLE had a hard time paying attention

He blogged about it in Romans

7:12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

GOOD Thing? Agreed??

V13Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not!

MMV (Mike Matheson Version)- It's(the law) just trying to get you to PAY ATTENTION

BUT SIN.....

See also V8,11 Sin tricked him into thinking that the forbidden fruit wasn't so bad after all, that it would bring happiness, and that he could get away with it.

Sin took his attention away from the more profitable things.

It's New Years Eve now- Everyone is making resolutions, few are kept....

Drives me crazy---- How about you?

Welcome to the human race!

By now, if you are listening, you're probably feeling the weight of PAYING attention...

It's easy to start paying attention, much harder to keep it going...

Desire to start isn't the problem...

Desire is merely the catalyst

Desire is synonymous with vision...

We get it! We know what we ought to be, but how to perform we find not (Romans 7:18)

Doing what is right ties me up in knots every day.

I just wanna go play instead of clean my room. You know?

But I like a clean room.

The big QUESTION is, will we yield our life to the LORD? Will we worship with our life?

Everyone wants too, but we think the cost to PAY is too high, so very high we don't even want to think about it, so we ignore the nagging voice and hope it goes away. The cost of ignoring (or ignorance) is much, much higher, and one day at the last judgment, we may all see what could have been if only we would have been willing to pay attention.

1Corinthians 3:13 ....each one's work will become clear; Won't it?

Easy to say, we will yield our life to the Lord, much harder to perform.... Isn't it?

Good News!!!!

The struggle is part of the process to make us into what we should be.

The fight to yield our stubborn wills to God is what builds our faith, fiber and character.

Don't just say I'm going to read more, pray more, go to church more.

Change your desire to I am going to know Him more....

(Matthew 9:21) For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

V22 be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

She didn't say I better be or do this, she said I have to touch Him

If you don't desire, if desire is dead, pray in desperation that you would........

Psalm 37 in a nutshell says

Do what is right.

Believe that God is faithful.

Be amazed and delighted by everything GOD is and does, even if He seems distant...

Commit to this...

You will fail often but He never will. He will stay after it till we are perfected.

Cling to Christ's work not yours,

THEN

^{(Psalm 37:6)} He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

We can have a Year End Bonus IF we will PAY attention,
We will PAY for what we PAY attention to,

but we will also be PAID for what we PAY attention to.

Could be scary or delightful?