Pause and Pay Attention – Part Two

The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, barely fitting between thumb and pointer.  Yet, it symbolizes faith necessary to move mountains.  Jesus does not require “superlative” faith.  He advises we exercise faith in its most simplistic way.  Miracles necessitate we genuinely believe Almighty God performs extraordinarily through us.  The boy’s demon possession (Matthew 17:14-23) provides the disciples with a chance to actualize and utilize God’s power.  Had they paused and paid attention to a special invitation of God’s grace, they would have been His instruments of healing.

How do we practically follow the unction of the Holy Spirit?  First, we may ask the question in different ways.  When do I feel energy from the Spirit of God?  Do I sense any strong emotions - joy, gratitude and cynicism? Our German brothers and sisters characterize this spiritual discipline as the process of “Examane.”  This is a two-fold approach of evaluating consciousness and conscience.  Pay very close attention to what is on your mind.  What central thoughts weigh on my mind?  Focus upon matters of your heart.  What are my predominant affections?  Resist busyness, which we often confuse with faithfulness, actually substantially undermines it.

“Examane” helps to assess whether you are operating on an empty spiritual tank.  Busy people often do so.  They give until they completely deplete themselves.  Instead, they withdraw and refuel spiritually.  They take time to replenish mind, heart and spirit.  Contrasting images of reservoirs and canals illuminate differences between people operating on emptiness or fullness.  Empty reservoirs soon create problems for persons who depend upon them.  Canals never run empty.  They connect to oceans and receive constant supplies of clean, fresh and flowing water.  Daily self-evaluation empowers you to become a divine channel.

At the end of the foregoing passage, Jesus instructs His disciples about the purpose of His earthly ministry.  He tells them He will be betrayed into the hands of evil men.  They will kill Him.  On the third day, He will rise to new life.  Jesus is saying, “Pause and pay attention!  I will teach you the lesson of new life.”  I imagine they ask questions about this strange teaching.  In response, I suspect Jesus tells them to listen very carefully.  They witness, heretofore, countless healings and miracles.  They hear many sermons on the kingdom of God.  They stay up late into the night hearing His teachings on the love of the Father.  None of it compares or surpasses teachings on the resurrection.  In today’s parlance, Jesus says, “Pause and pay attention fellows.  You ain’t seen nothing yet.  Please hear what I’m telling you.  The greatest miracle in the history of the universe waits.  You will most assuredly miss it if you fail to pause and pay attention.”  Finally, I pray you will develop a daily habit of “Examane” as you pause and pay attention to God’s daily invitations of grace.