I’m sure you know what I mean when I talk about doing things on auto pilot. For instance, you drive to work and then realize you don’t remember the details of how you got there. Or you go through certain daily routines like brushing your teeth or making coffee. They have become a rote operation and your mind goes elsewhere while you do them. Sometimes then you wonder if you skipped a step.<\/p>\n
Did I take my vitamins? Did I take that meat out of the freezer? Did I check for mail as I arrived home? You backtrack in your mind and find it blank. You feel foolish and hope you didn’t run any red lights or miss any stop signs while you were on auto pilot. You chide yourself and resolve to pay more attention and quit zoning out.<\/p>\n
We can be on auto pilot in our spiritual walk too. We can say daily prayers and read scripture in a zoned out state. If we have a daily quiet time, eventually it may slide into a routine: just going through the motions. We may pat ourselves on the back because we are disciplined and can proudly answer “Yes” when our pastor asks from the pulpit; “Do you pray every day?”<\/p>\n
Jesus said; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”<\/b> (Matthew 22:37) That doesn’t sound like he is very interested in a rote relationship, does it? He always gives us his full and loving attention when we come to him and of course he more than deserves the same from us. Do you need to snap out of spiritual auto pilot mode? That’s okay, we’ve all been there. Pay attention. Flip that switch back to manual operation and sit down for a good heart to heart with God. He’ll be there. Remember, he’s never on auto pilot!<\/p>\n
Audio version here:<\/p>\n\n