What Is Getting The Most Attention?

It started innocently enough.  All I was trying to do was watch a video on Youtube of a song from the musical Hamilton, but there were other videos that Youtube suggested I view as well.  Then there were others... 

When I finally emerged an hour later from the "click hole" I'd entered into, I felt dazed and incredulous that I'd wasted so much time.  

It felt a bit like I was Rip Van Winkle--awakening from sleep to realize the world had moved on without me.  I half expected to discover my kids were grown, and my dog aged and arthritic.  

The 21st-century context we find ourselves in is one that is fraught with distractions.  We are constantly bombarded with ads, images, clickbait and the like all vying for our attention.  

In his fascinating book The Attention Merchant's (a study on the history of advertising in America), author Tim Wu writes: 
As William James observed, we must reflect that, when we reach the end of our days, our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default. We are at risk, without quite fully realizing it, of living lives that are less our own than we imagine.
For those of us who are doing our best to stumble after Jesus, Williams James' observation is especially convicting.  How are we spending our time?  What captures our attention?    

The Apostle Paul wrote this to some early Christians in the first century:  
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Where are you investing the most of your time and energy?  What are the things that are getting your very best?  Where are you planting generously?  

You see, the places where you are planting the most will also be the places where you reap the most.  The converse is true as well.  Where you plant the least, will produce the least.   

And so, unless we want to live lives that are less our own... lives that are smaller and more diminished than God desires...  We need to be careful what gets the most of our attention, energy, focus, and love.   

May you plant your best in the things that matter the most.  May you always seek bumper crops of what is good, beautiful and true.  And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.  


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