“I’m Getting ENGAGED in 2018!”
I heard someone say that, and I thought “So am I”. Hers meant making a commitment to getting married. Mine meant I’m purposing to be less distracted and more on-purpose to give my full attention to those I encounter. It’s looking into someone’s eyes when they speak to me — giving them my undivided attention. I want to be ENGAGED and present in a family game watching a movie together, going to church together, or simply enjoying a meal together without interruption.
My word for today is obviously: ENGAGED — which means capture attention, grip, captivate, absorb, pledge, contract, promise, agree, bind oneself, interlock, unite.
Have you ever “ENGAGED” someone in conversation, only to see them looking away or looking at their watch or phone? How did it make you feel? On the other hand, was it you that someone was speaking to, and you didn’t seem to care about what they were saying by your body language?
While I want to do better in being ENGAGED and in the moment this year, I want to be “ENGAGED” in listening for God’s voice and cultivating my relationship with Him as though I were ENGAGED to marry someone. When my sweetheart and I were engaged, we spent countless hours on the phone. We couldn’t get enough of “talking and sharing” with each other. He was ALWAYS on my mind. My focus was on him — morning, noon and night. I was ENGAGED and I acted like it in my thoughts and daily interactions with him. Remember when St. Peter had the courage to get out of the boat and walk on the water to Jesus? He did, but then his eyes looked away at his circumstances, and he nearly drowned (Matthew 14:29).
Most of all, I want to be ENGAGED in my walk with God — seeing Him everywhere I turn, keeping my eyes on Him, and listening for His voice. When I do that, I will see, hear and know the path to walk in. He is THAT important to me.
In dog obedience training, they put a dog at one end of a room and its master at the other end of the room, with a plate of food in the middle. And then the master calls the dog. If the dog eyes the food, he’s a goner; he’ll go straight for it. So they teach the dog to focus his eyes on the master. If the dog keeps his eyes on the master, he won’t be tempted. Instead of heading for the food, he’ll head straight to the master.
If we keep our eyes on our Master, we won’t be distracted. As we get our minds off our circumstances and our problems, and focus on God’s goodness, His closeness and His power will be in our present and in our future. Being fully ENGAGED with the one Who is fully ENGAGED with us.
“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.” Hebrews 12:2