PAY ATTENTION!

By: Dennis Harworth

As the big, bulky dictionary loudly slammed to the tile floor, silence suddenly flooded the classroom.  The students gasped and then held their breath as they fearfully gazed at the substitute teacher, wondering what she was going to do next.  It seemed like forever as the teacher paused and slowly scanned the room with a stern stare before she sharply said, “Now that I have your attention; I want you to pay attention in this class.”  As the tension slowly subsided, the wide-eyed students looked at each other with the look as if to say, “We should do what she says.”

Teachers know that when students pay attention, they learn more, understand better, and remember more. Attention is a key skill that affects everything from learning and decision-making, to improving our lives and well-being.  Pay attention is something we have been hearing our whole life.  Parents teach us to watch traffic when crossing the street and keep our eyes on the road when driving. Coaches stress that giving attention is key to improving and helping the team succeed.  Common sense tells us to stay alert in risky situations.  How much more does God want us to pay attention to His Word?

The Bible tells us that paying attention is extremely vital to living our lives.  You know it is important when it is mentioned two times in four verses.  Proverbs 4:20-23 from The Passion Translation says, “Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you, and pay attention to all that I have to say. Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit. Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life and radiant health into the very core of your being. So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.” 

I have found these verses to have a tremendous impact on my life and I would like to share a little about them.  Other than Jesus, Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived.  He expresses his deeply heartfelt wisdom, passed down like a parent pleading with their child: “Please, listen! This matters.” What is his focus; paying attention – on purpose and from the heart? 

Solomon starts with a command: “Listen carefully…pay attention.” This is not just a casual “I heard you,” but intently leaning in to hear what is being said and the heart behind it. Listen carefully to what God says to us today and every day.  In prayer, in His Word, by His Spirit, through wise counsel – God is always speaking, but are we really listening?  Sometimes we treat our quiet time with God like background noise while we multitask.  Solomon sternly reminds us to pay attention to all of God’s Word.

He then tells us to fill our thoughts with God’s words until they “penetrate deep into your spirit.”  That means moving past just skimming a verse to truly meditating on it.  Place God’s Word in your heart and write them down to keep them ever before your eyes. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).  Let them soak deep into your soul for what we focus on shapes our inner life.

We need to realize that God’s Word doesn’t just sound good – it does good.  When we give it our complete attention, it gives us true life and radiant health. This isn’t just physical; it’s spiritual, emotional, and mental health too.  As we unwrap His Word, we discover God’s truth refreshing and restoring the “true life and radiant health into the very core of your being.”  What a great promise for our lives!

Last but not least, we are told in verse 23, “So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are.”  Why, because our attention affects our affection.  What we focus on shapes what we love and what we love drives how we live.  Our heart is the control center of our life, so we must be very careful what we let in.  Focus on what is true, honest, just and pure. (Philippians 4:8).  We can't afford to be lazy and take God's Word lightly – our future depends on how much of it we hold in our hearts.

God would not tell us to pay attention to His Word if we were already doing it. Paying attention isn’t just about avoiding distractions – it’s about choosing God’s Word to be what’s worthy of our focus.  So today, let’s take a deep breath and quiet the noise and really listen to what God is saying.  By doing so, we can enjoy a true life and glowing health throughout our whole being if we just PAY ATTENTION!