Pastor’s Place: Pay Attention

By Bobby Cates, pastor, First Baptist Church Argyle

I wasn’t the best student in high school, college, or even graduate school. My grades were alright but that doesn’t mean I was a good student. You see, my academic struggles were bound to one frustratingly consistent issue — I didn’t listen very well.

I was fond of making people laugh or trying to get a girl’s attention. I simply chose to invest my time and energy away from the instruction I was supposed to be receiving. Comprehension wasn’t my struggle. Paying attention was.

When it comes to matters of faith and following God, it’s been my experience that many people struggle with the same habits as I did academically. Comprehension isn’t the problem. The amount of attention we give to God is.

Studies have consistently shown that the most prominent factor in determining if someone is growing in their faith is whether or not they read their Bible on a daily basis. This lines up pretty well with what Paul said in Romans 10:17. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Not only are you introduced to Jesus through the testimony of Scripture, but you also continue to grow in your faith as you carefully listen to the Holy Spirit speak through the Old and New Testaments.

I am convinced that God has already provided many of the answers you are looking for in life. Perhaps, much like the awkward, hormone-driven 16-year-old version of me in Mrs. White’s AP English class, you’ve missed some crucial information because your attention was elsewhere. The good news is that those answers are still there waiting for you as God invites you to come discover Him through the richness and reliability of His Word.

Pay attention. God wants to teach you something.

The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.