In the last post, I introduced you to a study that argued for a goldfish over a human being - at least when it comes to an attention span. You can find the post here. Now I want to turn our attention to the Church. In other words, how does the lack of attention span affect those of us who are followers of Christ Jesus?
You will remember what is typically thought of as The Great Commission.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. - Matthew 28-19-20
Discipleship doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it takes an entire lifetime for a person to move from a new birth to becoming more like Jesus. Although there are some who believe sanctification can be attained this side of eternity, I’m not one of those people. In other words, I believe the process of discipleship is a never-ending movement toward Christ. The closer one becomes to the Savior, the more that person realizes how much they need a Savior. Paul’s words to the Romans e.g. Romans 7 is a good example.
This is where attention span reenters the conversation. How many times are believers admonished to “keep the faith,” “persevere to the end,” or “keep your eyes on the prize?” There must be a reason, right?
In 2011, I trained to run a half marathon. It was my first (and probably last) time to do so. I don’t enjoy running but I enjoyed the time spent with friends who trained alongside me. When the race day came, I was nervous while making my way toward my predetermined “lot” of runners. I noticed that most of those around me looked to be novices like myself. Although somewhat encouraging, the nervousness didn’t dissipate. This would be a tough challenge!
Once the starting gun sounded, we were off. Thirteen plus miles. One foot in front of the other. Don’t let the excitement of the day overrule the seriousness of the challenge. Pace yourself, Mike! Hey, why is that person running so fast? Don’t they know thirteen miles is a long way? There were so many thoughts running through my mind. I didn’t want to be last but I also wanted to finish.
I’ve thought through the years about those who start on the Christian journey, only to be sidetracked quickly. Perhaps they made an emotional decision before realizing what they really signed up for. Maybe they were convicted to change something in their life but they don’t really understand discipleship. Do they know there is an enemy who didn’t like their decision? In fact, there could be numerous things that derail an individual. And what part does the Church play? Sadly, some new converts have seemingly been left alone while the Church is on to convert others. It’s not intentional but it happens all too often.
Here’s the thing: If I am not intentional about my own discipleship, I will never grow. If I’m not focused on helping someone else grow closer to Jesus, there’s more chance of them falling by the wayside. After all, many of us have good intentions. What causes someone to move beyond average is the follow through.
Of course followers of Christ are not immune to the ways of the world. Like our neighbors, we too struggle with an attention span less than a goldfish. But as we talked about last time,
1) Know the problem. The enemy thrives on distractions.
2) Have a plan. Surround yourself with those who will help you grow.
3) Work the plan. Discipline is something that most don’t have. Set some goals. Evaluate honestly and frequently. And make appropriate changes.
Finally, give yourself some grace. When you get distracted, get up and get going again. Keep at it. And pay attention!