What has your attention? My answer to that question right now is something that I never want to experience again. Around 2:30am I was awakened by strange noises in the house. I laid there for a while, hoping the persistent, annoying sounds would cease and desist, but they didn’t. I started hearing some squawks and something hit the inside of the windows, so I got up to check it out. I slowly opened our bedroom door to retrieve my phone from our bathroom to have a flashlight, camera, and 911 if needed. The flashlight revealed a big bird looking at me as it paced on a windowsill in our great room. Time to wake up Mike! After he comprehended what I said, he quickly awoke and went to investigate. Finding the source of the noise, he ended up defending himself against a Great Horned Owl with large talons and a razor-sharp beak! Unfortunately, it didn’t end well for the owl, but Mike is my hero! So, what has my attention today? Cleaning up the mess after the Great Horned Owl came down our chimney and spent uninvited time in our home!

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This was not where I wanted to direct my attention today, but I think this is exactly what happens with the devices at our fingertips. Our attention gets diverted. We check to see if we got the email we were expecting, and then we see notifications from our social media or texts that we want to check, and suddenly we have spent more time than we intended scrolling and checking apps. Just like Peter, we get distracted by our own desires and plans. Peter expected Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom and could not reconcile his expectations with Jesus’ prediction of His suffering and death as a part of God’s plan (Matt.16:21-22).  Immediately, Jesus rebukes Peter for taking his focus off God’s plan. Distraction and inattention happen so quickly! We can learn to use the authority that God gives us to rebuke Satan’s temptations in our lives.  

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Giving God our attention teaches us to use our authority over Satan and makes our relationship with God stronger. My time with God usually starts with some tech when I click on the ACF Devo link, reading Scripture in a Bible app, or listening to worship music; however, engaging with tech in this way results in a very different heart place than scrolling. When I feel my anxiety rising due to worldly issues, I put down my phone and focus on Him. I encourage you to swap some of the time you scroll, check social media, or watch the latest series on the numerous streaming services for time to get to know Him. The writer of Chronicles tells us to “Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help” (I Chr.16:11). Instead of opening an app, give attention to Him for strength and help over any temptation!

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Most of us use apps to shop, but even when I focus on what I need to buy, my attention is suddenly diverted to things I do not need. I am trying to declutter, purge, and organize, so I do not need more stuff! When you need to close a shopping app, try recalling this verse in Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them.” God cares for the birds, even Great Horned Owls who scare me, so I know He will provide my needs. Knowing this makes it easier to just close the app after ordering what I actually need.

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What if we all replaced some tech time with giving people our attention? My attention is captured when I am actually talking with someone. Yes, texting has its place and is convenient for reminders and check-ins, but it is not a good way to connect with people. Remove distractions by silencing phones to just be present. If you are truly listening, your heart will be sensitive to the lives and needs of others.  

So … What has your attention today? If you asked your family or friends, would their answer be some form of technology? At times, it is for me, but we can change this trend in society and choose differently. If I asked you what should have your attention, would you answer, God? He desires our attention. “God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind” (Matt. 22:37). God’s conviction points us towards love and relational repair. If we give more attention to God, restoration will skyrocket!

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Let’s pray Romans 12:2, “Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect.”