What is occupying your mind right now? What has your attention even this very minute? There are millions of things your mind could be focusing on; last night’s dinner, that Netflix movie you watched, how your friend misjudged your motives, the challenging phone call you need to make. What you pay attention to makes so much difference.

Your brain has learned how to filter the important from the unimportant among the millions of incoming messages it continually receives. This is a lifesaving function; if a rattlesnake suddenly appears, the softness of your sweatshirt is totally irrelevant. And this brain function can also get you into trouble; ignore the warning signs of a health issue, an empty soul, or a big marriage problem at your own peril.

What you are paying attention to is affected by your personality, upbringing, habits, trauma, and much more. And most important, it’s something you can choose. For example, high performers in athletics, business, or the arts have learned to focus their attention on specific things with often amazing results.

Here are three categories of things we could all do well to pay attention to.

Your Own Heart

What are the messages you keep telling yourself, or the desires or longings that your heart refuses to let go of? What losses are leaving their scar in your soul? What part of your out-of-proportion emotional responses are more about the past than the present?

Recently I helped a young woman practice a body scan – slowing down long enough to notice what each area of her body, from head to toe, was experiencing. That comparatively simple exercise can be both grounding and immensely enlightening about the state of your soul.

The point is not navel-gazing; the point is developing a pattern of checking in with your heart, with the state of your internal world. This is what Proverbs means when it says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). It’s about paying attention.

Here’s a short exercise: take 3 minutes once a day. Get quiet and simply notice what’s going on in your body, mind, and soul. No immediate judgement; just notice. Then tell that to Jesus, and ask Him what He would have you do next.

That Which is Good

You will become more like that which you pay the most attention to. It’s a law of human nature. If you’re focusing on negative news, what you don’t have, or the problems you don’t know how to fix, the negativity will compound in your soul. On the other hand, as Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “Most people are about as happy as they choose to be.” That’s not ignoring challenges; it’s choosing what to focus on.

The Bible has said this all along: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8)”

Research agrees with the Bible here; studies prove that daily noticing something about your spouse to express gratitude for makes for a much healthier relationship. And research also proves that choosing to focus on good news for 3 minutes in the morning positively affects your mood – all day!

Here’s another short exercise: once you do that check-in with your heart in the morning, take a minute or two to notice three positive things. That might be the sparkle of dew on the grass in the morning sun, a friend’s message yesterday, or an encouraging Bible verse that popped up in your Bible app. You’re paying attention.

The Presence of God

Nothing changes things more than the presence of God. That includes you. It also includes all the challenging circumstances, messy relationships, or important decisions around you. You can be 100% certain that God is at work; what is He up to? You’ll never know if you don’t practice paying attention.

How might your perspective change if you welcomed the presence of Jesus into any and every challenge or opportunity? What if you learned to notice where He was already at work, and then sought to cooperate with Him in that endeavor?

I’ve found this to be powerful in making decisions. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). In which direction does my heart sense more of Christ’s peace? That’s almost always the wisest, healthiest way to go.

Inviting, welcoming, and enjoying the presence of God is a skill your soul can get better at. It’s not something ethereal only for the “super-saints;” God intends His presence to be real – for you. It takes first slowing down, choosing to believe He is there, and then paying attention to His presence.

One more short exercise: as part of your morning pattern, take at least 60 seconds to let your soul become quiet. After you express your inner reality to Jesus and ask His perspective, and after you notice something that’s good, breathe deep and invite your heart to be sill. Pray something like, “Jesus, I’m here. I need Your presence. I welcome You. I’m paying attention.”

Just stay there for a moment. He will meet you there.

When Your Mind is Swirling

Paying attention to what you’re paying attention to is a key practice for when something in your world, life, or heart is going sideways. You can learn to pause and ask yourself, “What am I paying attention to?”

Then go through these 3 short exercises. It can be quick; what is the state of my heart? What is something good I can notice, even right now? And where is the presence of God in the middle of this?

Choosing what you pay attention to will pay great dividends in every dimension of your life.

Your Turn: What does your mind naturally tend to pay attention to? How might you channel your attention more carefully? Where does this apply to the challenges you are facing right now?  Leave a comment below.

Want more? This week’s podcast is with Dr. Joshua Knabb – a rich conversation about following Jesus right in the middle of stuff, and how our spiritual practices can impact our wellbeing.   Listen or watch.

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