What controls your attention controls your life.” This statement transfixed me as I happened to read it in an online business publication. The author went on to say:

“Where your attention goes, energy flows and so goes your life. When I interviewed racecar-driver legend Mario Andretti, I asked him for the No. 1 success tip to racecar driving. His answer, “Don’t look at the wall.” He explained, “Your car goes where your eyes go.” If you are a tightrope walker, what’s the one thing you never do? Right, look down. Why? Your body will follow your eyes. Your body (your life) also follows your eyes (your attention)…Your mind is like an empty glass. It will hold anything you put into it. You put in sensational news, salacious headlines and talk show rants, and you are pouring dirty water into your glass. If you’ve got dark, dismal, worrisome water in your glass, everything you create will be filtered through that muddy mess, because that’s what you’ll be thinking about. Garbage in, garbage out.” (Darren Hardy, Success.com)

Though written for a secular audience, how true this is for us as Christ-followers as well! It is so easy to get captured by the many distractions of modern living and not give our attention to the Lord and what He is saying to us individually and corporately. The early apostles recognized the danger that even worthy ministry activity could mean for them, and so they delegated the management and administration aspects and said we “will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word”. Paul writes of the transformative impact of our giving such sustained attention to the Spirit of the Lord, saying that we who “with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his likeness with every increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).

A couple weeks ago in Hong Kong, one of the busiest, most frenetic cities in the world, I shared the idea of “wasting time with God” in corporate listening and prayer with a group of local Christian leaders. I was amazed and thrilled that they decided together that they would take three days out to “seek the Lord for the spiritual destiny of Hong Kong”. They will do this as part of their preparation for the World Prayer Assembly. Those of us who are helping to organize the WPA urge you to think of doing the same thing individually as well as with others, whether or not you are able to come to Jakarta. Take time out to hear the voice of God, and it could bring His transforming touch to you, your community and nation!

John Robb, IPC Chairman

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