Notice When You've Stopped Noticing GodSýnishorn

It’s difficult to notice God when we’re running hard. Overwhelming circumstances and unmet expectations can rob us of awareness of His presence, and our good intentions can place us on a treadmill of anxiety when we begin to focus on our own efforts rather than on God’s strength. Learning to notice when we’ve stopped noticing God is powerful, but with so many things attempting to steal our gaze from Him, how can we fix our eyes on Jesus?

In 1 John 3, the NIV translation says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” Lavished is such a great word—it’s extravagant generosity, unbounded giving. God is a good Father who loves to give good gifts! Some of these gifts are for the church; gifts that we can use to encourage and strengthen the body of believers. But other gifts He gives are just for us to enjoy—a sunrise, a conversation with a good friend, a quiet evening with a good book, or even a week's beach vacation. These are things we get to enjoy simply because we are God’s kids. We often overlook so many life-giving things because we don’t view them through the lens of a loving Father who loves to give good gifts.

When we begin to view people, places, and activities as gifts from God, they take on a whole new meaning. They become opportunities for us to remember Him and bump into worship throughout our day. When we intentionally place these life-giving things in our lives, we provide ourselves opportunities to mindfully enter His presence with gratitude, reminding us of His extravagant love.

Scripture tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus; He is the author and perfecter of our faith. When we’ve stopped noticing God, chronic anxiety steps in with a message that it’s up to us to be the perfecters of our lives. Jacob used his cunning to steal a birthright and ended up on the run. Gehazi, overwhelmed by his circumstances, didn’t see a way out. Cleopas’s unmet expectations shifted his focus, and the Pharisees were so consumed with their own efforts, they missed God’s heart. The reality is: We will all continue to misplace our gaze. The stories of Jacob, Gehazi, Cleopas, and the Pharisees are our stories, too. But if we can intentionally move into regular experiences of love throughout our day, it can help us stay connected to our Heavenly Father. His gifts refresh us and remind us that we are so deeply loved, and it’s very difficult to be in the grip of anxiety when we’re in the grip of love.

What is life-giving to you? What places settle your mind? What activities bring you joy? For a free resource to help you regularly encounter the love and goodness of God, check out the Life Giving List that comes with a free instruction video on how to make and use one.