Attention spans and God

One of the key words in our walk with Christ is focus.

 

We become what we focus on - and what you focus on becomes your reality (I will be talking about this on Sunday morning).

 

So true.

 

If  you focus on your problems - you will become problem filled in your thought life.

 

If you focus on the presence of Jesus - you will become filled with the presence of Jesus in your life.

 

Yet focus is hard.

 

Microsoft did a study of 2,000 consumers and they discovered that the average human attention span has gone down (from Kevin McSpadden's article, "You now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish.").

 

In 2000 it was 12 seconds, that's right, 12 seconds. 

 

But now, in 2015, it has gone down to 8 seconds - people generally lose concentration after 8 seconds, highlighting the effects of an increasingly digitalized lifestyle on the brain.  (Some of you have already left this blog and gone on to something else).  :) :)

 

In comparison - a goldfish has a 9 second attention span.  (I am not sure how they found that out but it is a scientific fact).

 

In other words, a goldfish has a longer attention span than we do.

 

Now here is the question:  Why has our attention span gone down?

 

Microsoft's theory is that because of the mobile Internet, the brain does not have the ability to adapt and change itself over time and a weaker attention span is the side effect.

 

The survey also confirmed generational differences for mobile use; for example 77% of people aged 18 to 24 responded "yes" when asked, "When nothing is occupying my attention, the first thing I do is reach for my phone."

 

What is your focus today?

 

I would suggest that every time you focus on your problem - you spend even more time focusing on the presence of God - and fill up your "free time" with the Incarnated son of God rather than the Internet.

The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31 that they that "wait upon the Lord will renew their strength."  Not they that "wait" upon the latest Facebook post.

 

And btw, thank you for focusing enough to finish the blog..... :) :)

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.