As I was preparing to walk down the aisle almost eighteen years ago, I remember advice shared by our wedding coordinator that I’ve applied and that has helped me every day: “Take mental snapshots as you go throughout your special day. Make sure to notice and remember.”

It’s wonderful advice to apply to any event but especially for experiencing everyday life — perhaps even more so with Jesus. Notice and remember.

God usually teaches me more about Himself through my daughter than God is probably teaching my daughter through me — one of the gifts of being a parent. Through conversations with her about the adventures we’ve shared and funny stories of her childhood, I’ve realized she can sometimes remember a hard or difficult experience from the same time period much quicker than a positive one. I’m aware I can and have done the same thing through my own life.

Because of that, we’ve been focusing a lot of our energy on noticing what God is doing, remembering the good and focusing our hearts and minds on what Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT).

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned . . . and the God of peace will be with you.

But this list from Paul in his letter to the Philippine church seems unrealistic for the times we are living in or completely daunting since it feels unachievable.

How do we “fix our thoughts” much less find what is true, honorable, and right in the current state of our world?

Pure, lovely, and to be admired? I can’t even find that in me much less as I walk through each day.

Excellent and worthy of praise? That sounds impossible.

I’m realizing as I work through Paul’s list that these qualities are only found in God. Only when the Holy Spirit is at work can we find God’s attributes and have His help to choose to notice and remember.

Apart from God, this list of qualities is impossible to experience. Only God can give us the ability to see Him at work so we can praise Him and have peace. 

Noticing God is a great place to start.  

What if we approached our days with the eagerness of a real life scavenger hunt? The prize would be finding God all around us, empowering us to live a life of praise and peace for our weary souls.

What if fixing our eyes on Jesus looks like noticing His truth, beauty, and works in His word and as we walk through our day?

If we do, our noticing will quickly turn into love.

Jesus chose to notice those whom others had ignored, giving Him the opportunity to do a miracle. 

Jesus noticed the greedy, short man that everyone wanted to ignore and transformed his life over dinner.

Jesus noticed the woman who was desperate for healing and answered her prayer.

Jesus noticed the woman who was caught in sin and taught her and others what grace really is.

Jesus noticed the man who was given a death sentence and forgave him for all eternity.

And Jesus noticed when the Spirit directed Him to wait, to go, and to stay. And by His noticing, Jesus remembered why He had been sent.

What if our noticing of God’s character in our daily lives is not only to encourage us but also to enable us to love others?

Let’s follow Jesus’ example of noticing God at work and seeing others where they’re at so we can actively love. Let’s go on a daily adventure of noticing God and remembering His goodness, so you can have His peace when you need it most.

Leave a Comment