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But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6
I remember being in my early twenties when I read the first article about how much more I could get done if I would multi-task. Oh, I thought it was marvelous! Today, the ability to multi-task is highly regarded - both in the business world and socially. But it's become a Frankenstein of sorts.
Thirty years ago, multi-tasking meant making lists or catching a few paragraphs of a good book while you were waiting in inevitable lines. Now, it's checking e-mails while you're talking or texting to someone on your phone, and IM-ing in another window, with YouTube playing in the other window, and Facebook notifications in yet another window, and perusing what's available on Amazon in still another, while checking your bank balance in the final window to see if you can afford to purchase what's on Craig's List in the window that's in the far right corner of your monitor... unless of course, you have a dual monitor, in which case you can add a lot more...
It's the constant state of partial attention that makes me crazy. With all this technology, we supposedly accomplish all that much more. However, the fact of the matter is, we do not. And lest you think I have finally reached the age of being an old fogey, out of touch with today, let me tell you that even Intel "sees information overload as a serious problem" in its own company. Balex Research has estimated that the corporate world lost an average of $900 BILLION dollars in revenue due to time inefficiencies having to do with "information overload." 1
And while I will agree that the next generation coming of age has unbelievable technical ability and more intelligence at the literal tips of their fingers, I also find an overwhelming number of techies - no matter what age they are - have very little ability for sustained attention, have absolutely no patience, they cannot and will not tolerate anything or anyone that slows them down, and they are most uncomfortable with silence. And you can flat forget about being still, so it is not only the corporate world that has lost...
In Psalm 46, God challenges us to Be still and now that I am God. When was the last time you remember being absolutely still before God? When was the last time you turned off everything - music, cell phones, TV in the background - EVERYTHING - and got before the Lord with your total attention on Him (and not with one eye on the clock)? Just asking, not accusing.
We complain that we cannot hear the voice of God. Scripture describes it as a still, small voice. Listen, He's speaking... If we can't hear it, then let's turn something off.
Prayer:
Father,
Forgive us for not being fully in the moment with You, while always expecting You to be fully in the moment with us. Help us to focus our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole strength on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
I remember being in my early twenties when I read the first article about how much more I could get done if I would multi-task. Oh, I thought it was marvelous! Today, the ability to multi-task is highly regarded - both in the business world and socially. But it's become a Frankenstein of sorts.
Thirty years ago, multi-tasking meant making lists or catching a few paragraphs of a good book while you were waiting in inevitable lines. Now, it's checking e-mails while you're talking or texting to someone on your phone, and IM-ing in another window, with YouTube playing in the other window, and Facebook notifications in yet another window, and perusing what's available on Amazon in still another, while checking your bank balance in the final window to see if you can afford to purchase what's on Craig's List in the window that's in the far right corner of your monitor... unless of course, you have a dual monitor, in which case you can add a lot more...
It's the constant state of partial attention that makes me crazy. With all this technology, we supposedly accomplish all that much more. However, the fact of the matter is, we do not. And lest you think I have finally reached the age of being an old fogey, out of touch with today, let me tell you that even Intel "sees information overload as a serious problem" in its own company. Balex Research has estimated that the corporate world lost an average of $900 BILLION dollars in revenue due to time inefficiencies having to do with "information overload." 1
And while I will agree that the next generation coming of age has unbelievable technical ability and more intelligence at the literal tips of their fingers, I also find an overwhelming number of techies - no matter what age they are - have very little ability for sustained attention, have absolutely no patience, they cannot and will not tolerate anything or anyone that slows them down, and they are most uncomfortable with silence. And you can flat forget about being still, so it is not only the corporate world that has lost...
In Psalm 46, God challenges us to Be still and now that I am God. When was the last time you remember being absolutely still before God? When was the last time you turned off everything - music, cell phones, TV in the background - EVERYTHING - and got before the Lord with your total attention on Him (and not with one eye on the clock)? Just asking, not accusing.
We complain that we cannot hear the voice of God. Scripture describes it as a still, small voice. Listen, He's speaking... If we can't hear it, then let's turn something off.
Prayer:
Father,
Forgive us for not being fully in the moment with You, while always expecting You to be fully in the moment with us. Help us to focus our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole strength on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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