Can you identify with any of the examples that Carl gave—in other words, compulsions to check your phone, social media, texts, etc.? Can you think of a time when you observed this “distracted” behavior in someone else and it really bothered you? How did it make you feel?
- According to Psalm 105:4, we’re to seek God’s presence continually. What might have to change in your view of God to take this idea seriously? How could you become more aware of God’s presence throughout your day?
Hint: Carl emphasized the fact that God is everywhere. That there’s nowhere we can go where God is not (Psalm 139), that in God, we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Why is it hard to live into this reality?
- What gets in the way of experiencing God’s presence more in our lives? What keeps us from being more present to others, especially the people closest to us?
- What do you think of the quote from Dallas Willard—“God does not ordinarily compete for our attention.”?
- Carl gave several suggestions for how we might be more intentional about seeking God’s presence:
- Practicing mindfulness
- Take time to slow down, breathe
- Practice meditation (Psalm 1:1-3 gives biblical definition of meditation)
- Have better daily boundaries with technology (or take a complete break)
Which one(s) can you put in practice this week?
