The Men We Need by Brant HansenSample

Paying Attention

Who we become is within our control. It’s not a mystery. It’s predictable. How?

Who we become is a direct result of what we pay attention to.

We’re all emotional beings, and we can’t always control our emotions. But what we think about has a tremendous effect on our emotions, and we have a great deal of control over what we think about.

Yes, we live in a culture that pushes all sorts of foolishness and evil at us, constantly pinging our eyes, ears, and brains with banner ads and notifications and billboards and commercials and social media posts and messages. But taking responsibility for ourselves starts with us. We have to stand guard over our own minds.

Stop now and read Colossians 3:2, 5-8:

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things ... Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Not that long ago, I would see Scriptures like this and think, Yeah, sure ... but that’s not realistic. But dealing with my impurity, lust, greed, anger, and rage is not unrealistic at all. Those all stem from what I’m consistently putting my mind on.

We should note just how the word “pay” fits here. Our attention is a limited thing, and we have to manage it like finances. When I’m “paying” attention to something, I’m buying a ticket so my brain can attend.

We all have desires, of course. But what we pay attention to has an enormous impact on how those desires get fueled. Because as powerful as our desires are, they don’t need to define us or control us. They aren’t all-powerful. They are not the last word about who we are. And that’s really good news.

Standing guard over your mind is vital. Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 and Colossians 3:12–17. What does it mean to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ? What practical advice would you give someone who is struggling with their thought life?