“Do you really need that much dental floss?” I heard one guy describe as his knee-jerk reaction to his wife casually pulling out almost two feet of floss from the dispenser. In his mind, he was calculating how fast that 43.7 yards of Glide would go, at $5.59 plus tax.
I get it. True confession: I used to be the Kleenex police at my house. Seriously. I had mastered strategic Kleenex folding to maximize the use of a single precious tissue! I’ll spare you the details on that. Just know I was raised to see it as a moral imperative to avoid waste (and save money). As a result, I was very attuned to the rate of consumption in my own rather large household, and had a penchant for rationing. (I now realize this was all rooted in a scarcity mindset and fear, but it seemed entirely normal and reasonable to me. Just like it did for the guy who enforced the exact length of dental floss necessary to do the job.)
But why did we notice such things? I was attuned to any semblance of waste and any opportunity to save, because my antennas were always up for it. My wife tends to be more aware of the physical environment. If she sees something that doesn’t belong in her carefully-conceived space, she thinks, “Why is that there?”
We all focus on different things because of the specific set of values we hold as individuals. And whatever we focus on, whatever it is that we value, tends to dominate our thoughts. We seldom recognize it, but the subject matter of our thoughts and imaginations will determine the quality of our lives and our relationships. Most of us fail to ever challenge our views because we assume they are true and we are normal. Everybody else is weird.
What does the Word of God say about any of this? Here are just a couple of verses:
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12).
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Most people would agree that life and peace sounds more appealing than death. So how do we change the trajectory and quality of our lives? Glad you asked! By changing our focus.
In Psalm 16:7-8, David penned these amazing lines:
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
It’s clear from scripture that we get to choose our thoughts (Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:2). We can fix our eyes on what is seen, or on what is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). David found the key to being unshaken by life’s circumstances, the path to happiness and security. He consciously cultivated his awareness of God’s presence! We can’t get away from God; we may be ignoring Him, but He’s always right there with us. What will you allow to command your attention and fill your thoughts today? Think about it!
