Bring your heart to attention

Yesterday I spent some time with an old friend who was a Pastor until a few weeks ago. He had served and sacrificed the church for a number of years before being asked to leave. Listening to him its clear that the transition could have been handled better.

Listening to him was hard. His heart had been hurt and he was clearly in the middle of a storm of questions, doubt and hurt. My heart went out to him as I spent a couple of hours trying to encourage him.

Today I read this:

Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. - 1 Peter 3 v 12

Attention is defined as the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things.

The hardest thing in the world to do. But Peter is encouraging us to ignore the words and the actions that are hurting us and concentrate and be ready to hear what Jesus wants to say to us.

Our questions and others words very often cut but Jesus words heal a broken heart when we don't know what to say.