Intentional Attention

Question: What grabs your attention?
Answer: Anything that can stir your emotions, and is typically short-term.

We have lots of things that grab our attention...but giving our attention to something has less to do with emotion and more to do with intention. Even in church--we can be gripped by something that was said or sung about...but then we don't actually do anything about it! Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." Here's the bottom line - If we are not intentional about giving our attention to something (or someone), then it is easy for us to get off track and have our attention grabbed by anything. What are you giving your attention and affection to? Here are the two biggest questions to help you know:
- Where does most of your TIME go? (work, friends, TV, music, internet...spending time with Jesus?)
- Where does most of your MONEY go? (fast food, games, clothes...people in need, tithes and offering?)

If you evaluate the answers to those questions and there is a big imbalance...maybe it's time to get intentional about focusing our attention on the things of God. Take a minute today to make a list and prioritize the things that are truly the most important to you, and GIVE your attention (intentionally) to them, and cut down on the meaningless things that continually "grab" your attention. This is a struggle for me--especially with "my" money. Let's work together, and by the power of God we can all refocus our attention on the things that truly matter!