The Pay Out

Read: Acts 16:6-15

“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:14)

We need the Lord to “open our hearts” so that we can “pay attention” to those things most crucial in our lives. It is a funny notion… to “PAY” attention. This implies that there is a cost… an exchange… it truly is a payment. What are we exchanging our attention for? To “pay” with something means that it has VALUE. Our “attention” has VALUE. So we spend it… we “pay” it out. The real question becomes what or who are we paying it to?

Have you ever caught yourself staring out into the distance? Maybe we call this “spaced out” or “zoned out”. In these moments we realize how easy it is to WASTE attention. We are so prone to squander it. Sometimes we forget its value so we give it away to empty things. We find ourselves “paying attention” to things that do not matter all that much. This is why we need the Lord to “open our hearts”. We need to be shown what it is we need to pay attention to. This is not always that easy. There are MANY things vying for our attention. Sometimes we need to be sensitive to and aware of tiny things… subtle things. It is not always the loudest person in the room who needs attention - despite the saying that “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. Sometimes the things that seem so important are really not… and sometimes the things that are so important don’t seem so at the time. Those little things in life that eventually add up to something big. Those small moments where your wife… your husband…your friend… your child… your co-worker wants you to pay some attention to them but it seems that something else is more pressing. Sometimes something else IS more pressing… but not always. If we are not careful, we will pay the wrong person! We will pay into something that is a waste.

God awakens our hearts to what is most important. God opens our eyes so that we can pay attention to the right things. Without him, we will waste this precious commodity he has given us. Christ opens our minds, our hearts, our eyes, and our ears. Literally. (cf. Luke 24:45, Mark 4:9, 1 Cor. 2:10-16) Today, you will be bombarded with noises, people, images, ideas, passions and desires. May God open your heart to pay attention to those things which MATTER. What are you getting in exchange for your attention? Have you given it to some app… some game… some team… some hobby? These things in and of themselves are not bad, and yet they “cost us”. God can and does use them to restore us at times. (Recreation is the RE-creation of energy and life in us after all.) But not always. May we never waste our attention. Your hearts will be opened today! I know it. What will you be paying attention to? I cannot wait to hear more someday. Love you guys. - JDP