Can You Hear Me Now?

According to Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, “attention” is defined as: The act or state of attending or heeding; earnest consideration, thought, or regard; obedient or affectionate heed.

Students are asked to “pay attention” in school. The driver is reminded to “pay attention” while driving. An announcer on television invites us to “pay attention” to an incredible offer! In a court of law the jury is urged to “pay attention” to the facts of the case. You get the idea. Our attention is constantly being required throughout our daily life.

Yet, many of us are NOT paying attention when Christ speaks to us. We in essence tune Him out intentionally, or unintentionally. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is, we just don’t give Christ the attention he deserves. We live as if Christ should follow OUR rules instead of the other way around.

Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was become unbearable.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.' "Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me -- and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." "I'll never forget her answer: 'Then listen slowly.'"

Does this sound familiar? Too busy with what is going on around you to slow down or stop and listen when Christ is trying to speak to you? The Greek word for attention is: προσέχω; or prosechó. This literally means: to hold to, turn to, attend to. Do you turn your attention to Christ when he tries to get your attention? Or do you try to hurry Him up so that you can get on with your life, giving Him only a small token of your attention, if any at all?

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” Hebrews 2:1-3 (NIV)

Regarding this particular passage, Clark's Commentary on the Bible has this to say: “Therefore - Because God has spoken to us by his Son; and because that Son is so great and glorious a personage; and because the subject which is addressed to us is of such infinite importance to our welfare. We ought to give the more earnest heed - We should hear the doctrine of Christ with care, candor, and deep concern.”

How foolish can we be to think that Christ deserves nothing more than a fleeting glance, or a rushed passing moment of attention in our daily lives! It has been said that the average adult attention span is 6 minutes, so I suppose that all of this should not be that surprising.

We live in a world that is moving a mile a minute. The speed of change is rapid and our entire way of life reflects this. This is precisely why it is even more crucial that we allow ourselves the chance to slow down and listen when Christ speaks to us; we ought to give the more earnest heed and pay attention to His voice.

Are YOU paying to attention to Christ? Do any of us give Him the attention He truly deserves? “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Hebrews 2:2 (NIV) When He talks, do you listen?

~Eve