A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 8.
“What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4)
Mindfulness. It’s a buzzword. It’s a noble goal in a world where everyone is competing for my attention. With phones in our hands we’re distracted from the people or the traffic around us. We walk into a store and buy a cart full of end-cap items, forgetting the one thing we went there for. With minds full of noise, we have to ask the person across from us, “What did you say?” Ten pages later, we don’t remember what we just read. Somehow you got distracted, performed an assortment of mindless tasks, and didn’t get anything from your to-do list done.
It takes a lot of effort to be mindful. I have to deliberated turn off everything to concentrate on one thing. I have to do one task at a time rather than trying to juggle several. I have to make a list and stick to it. I have to recognize what is important rather than what appears to be urgent.
The bible ascribes many attributes to God, but here the psalmist marvels at the mindfulness of God. In a creation so vast that I feel insignificant, he’s mindful of me, he notices me, he cares about me, and he grants me with significance.
Mindfulness begins with God. What do you notice about his creation? What do your senses tell you about your Creator? You can learn much about him from creation (Romans 1:20). What’s going on with your body? Every breath, every heartbeat points us to the God who gives us life and breath and all things.
What about all those people around you? They aren’t paying attention are they? Blocking the store aisles, drifting into your lane, not moving when the light turns green.
Don’t be that guy or gal. Decide in advance to pay attention. To notice. It’s an art. It’s a discipline. And it’s part of being created in God’s image. You can be mindful and notice.
Waite for it... 