The Power of Paying Attention: Breaking Free from Religious Routine

The Power of Paying Attention: Breaking Free from Religious Routine

In a world filled with distractions and comfortable routines, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters in our spiritual journey. Today we explore a profound truth: there's incredible power in paying attention to God's movement rather than simply following religious patterns.

When Routine Becomes a Spiritual Trap

Many believers find themselves caught in spiritual routines that, while not inherently wrong, can become barriers to experiencing God's fresh revelation. Religion builds itself on routine, but relationship thrives on revelation - the ability to notice when God is doing something different than He did yesterday.

The danger isn't in having customs or patterns in our faith. The problem arises when our routine makes us so comfortable that we take our eyes off of God. When we expect God to always show up in the familiar, we risk missing Him in the unexpected.

The Story of Lost Jesus: A Warning About Assumptions

Luke chapter 2 tells us about twelve-year-old Jesus staying behind in the temple while His parents traveled home, assuming He was with their group. This wasn't rebellion on Mary and Joseph's part - it was assumption based on custom and routine.

How Good People Lose Jesus

Most believers don't lose Jesus through wickedness; they lose Him through assumption. Mary and Joseph followed their religious customs perfectly. They attended the required festivals and fulfilled their obligations. But they assumed Jesus would automatically follow their routine without verifying His presence.

The Greek word used for "supposing" in this passage means "to assume based on custom" - taking for granted and relying on the familiar instead of verifying. This reveals a critical spiritual principle: routine can carry you further than intimacy was ever meant to take you.

Religion vs. Relationship: Understanding the Difference

Religion is Built on Routine

Religious thinking says: "We need three songs, a certain amount of preaching time, and a closing prayer." It creates predictable patterns that make us feel in control of our spiritual experience.

Relationship is Built on Revelation

Relationship thinking asks: "Where is Jesus in this moment? What is He doing that might be different from yesterday?" It requires paying attention, maintaining proximity, and pursuing His presence.

The Danger of External Emotional Regulation

Some people are external emotional processors, meaning they need to control everything around them to feel safe and anxiety-free. They plot their own course and create their own routines because uncertainty feels uncomfortable.

But here's the truth: God has not called you into comfort. He's provided a Comforter for your uncomfortable situations. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter precisely because when you're uncomfortable, you need more of His presence.

Jesus Stayed Where the Presence Was

While His family moved on because "the routine said the trip was over," Jesus remained in the temple where God's presence was active. He was about His Father's business, not bound by human schedules or customs.

This teaches us that our routine should take us into God's presence, not away from it. If your spiritual habits are leading you away from encountering God, you've chosen religion over relationship.

The Problem with Clocks and Schedules

Sometimes our adherence to time and schedule can actually kill moves of God. When we're so focused on our planned timeline that we miss what God wants to do in the moment, we choose human order over divine opportunity.

Following Jesus vs. Leading Jesus

Many Christians want Jesus to bless their plans rather than following His direction. We ask God to accompany us into our preferences, convenience, and comfort zones. But Jesus isn't obligated to follow us into disobedience, distraction, or detours.

The Cross Principle

When Jesus spoke about taking up your cross and following Him, He was referencing a Roman practice. When people saw someone carrying a cross, they knew two things: this person didn't choose this path, and they were never coming back from where they were going.

Spiritual maturity means understanding that what God calls you into isn't your choice, and you're not supposed to return to where you were before. You carry what you must carry and go where He leads, without looking back.

The Power of Divine Timing

God's timing isn't our timing. He can supernaturally remove delays that have set you back and restore you to His intended timeline. When you keep your eyes on Him rather than your circumstances, delay doesn't have to be your permanent portion.

Just as Mary and Joseph were delayed by three days but found Jesus and got back on track, God can bring you back up to speed when you align with His direction rather than your own.

Stepping Through the Small Door

Sometimes God calls us through small doors into new territories that might feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Like Alice following the white rabbit down the hole, we're invited into a different world - the kingdom of God operating in ways that transcend our normal experience.

The question isn't whether this new path feels comfortable or familiar. The question is whether it's right and whether it leads us closer to God's will for our lives.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to examine your spiritual routines. Are they taking you deeper into relationship with God, or have they become comfortable patterns that allow you to coast spiritually?

Make proximity to God your priority rather than predictability in your schedule. Look for Jesus actively in your daily life instead of assuming He'll show up in your familiar patterns. Be willing to step through uncomfortable doors if that's where His presence is leading.

Questions for Reflection:

• Where in your life have you been following routine instead of following Jesus?

• What assumptions about God's presence or direction do you need to examine?

• Are you asking God to bless your plans, or are you seeking to discover His plans for you?

• What "small door" might God be inviting you to step through, even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar?

Remember: You can always go back to where you left Jesus. If you've lost sight of Him through assumption or routine, simply turn around and pursue relationship over religion. He's still about His Father's business in your life, even when you can't see what He's doing.