Attention to Detail: Staying Focused on God
A journey through scripture and personal experience that reminds us how maintaining focus on what truly matters leads to spiritual victory.
The Marathon: A Personal Testament to Focus
About 18 years ago, I ran the Hudson River Marathon in Albany, New York—one of my greatest personal achievements. This 26-mile journey wasn't just a run; it represented an attention to detail that required over 7 months of training.
It started with a vision of doing something I had never done before. As a lifelong runner who competed in high school track, I knew this challenge would be different. The training was immense: pilates twice weekly, running 40+ miles per week, and peaking at over 50 miles two weeks before the race.
The only way to complete this marathon was through complete attention to detail, carrying out a vision over 7 months. It required sacrifice not just from me, but from my family as well.
When Focus Shifts from God: The Warning in Amos
The Ripe Fruit Vision
God shows Amos a basket of ripe fruit—a prophetic metaphor of imminent judgment. The Hebrew wordplay between "ripe fruit" (qayitz) and "end" (qētz) signals that Israel's time is up.
Divine Patience Exhausted
"The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer" (Amos 8:2). God's long-suffering patience has reached its limit, indicating decisive and irreversible action.
Spiritual Disintegration
The imagery is unsettling: bodies flung everywhere, temple songs turning to wailing, and people suffering from a famine—not of bread, but of the Word of the Lord.
The Root of God's Judgment: Injustice
God's judgment in Amos 8 comes not from cruelty, but from a holy intolerance of injustice. The society described has abandoned attention to God's commands:
  • The poor are trampled
  • Dishonest scales are used in business
  • The Sabbath is resented because it delays profit
This is a society where commerce has replaced covenant, and the vulnerable are exploited without shame. God will no longer overlook such corruption.

In our Reformed tradition, we understand judgment as a consequence of violating the covenant. The people had privileged access to God's law, yet chose to worship idols, oppress the poor, and ignore the Sabbath.
The lack of attention to detail in following the Lord's commands contributed to God's anger. The warning remains clear for us today.
Mary and Martha: A Lesson in Focus
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Mary's Choice
Mary sits at Jesus' feet—the traditional posture of a disciple—giving her full attention to his teaching.
Martha's Distraction
Martha becomes "distracted by all the preparations" (v.40) and grows frustrated with her sister's apparent lack of help.
Jesus' Response
"Martha, Martha... you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better..." (vv. 41–42)
The Balance of Work and Word
The Martha Question
Doesn't someone have to do the work? In James 2:17 we read, "Thus faith, by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Martha wasn't wrong for working, but she was wrong for letting the work eclipse the Word. This is a trap we all fall into.
"Don't get so busy—even with good things—that you miss the better thing."
The Connection: Attention to God's Word
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Amos: A Warning
The people abandoned the Word: "a famine... not of food... but of hearing the words of the Lord." (Amos 8:11)
They were busy with religious festivals but full of injustice, worshiping while cheating the poor, going through motions while forgetting God's law.
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Mary: The Example
Mary, in contrast to Israel in Amos' time, hung on Jesus' every word. She fulfilled what Amos' generation lacked: a hunger for the Word of the Lord.
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Our Lives Today
Like Martha, we must serve—but service must flow from time with Jesus, not replace it. Like Mary, we must listen—but also rise when called to act.
Scripture Guides for Staying Focused
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Proverbs 4:25–27
"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
Focus on God's direction requires intention. This wisdom guides us toward daily obedience—steady, undistracted, and morally aligned with God.
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Hebrews 12:2
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
Spiritual focus must center on Christ. This is the ultimate call to stay focused—not just morally or ritually, but on the person of Jesus. It connects beautifully with Mary's posture in Luke 10.
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Philippians 3:13–14
"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Paul emphasizes focused perseverance, letting go of distractions and regrets, running the race with clear purpose.
The Marathon of Faith
Just as my marathon required months of detailed training and focus on the finish line, our spiritual journey demands the same attention to detail:
  • We must train ourselves in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
  • We need to maintain focus despite distractions
  • We require endurance for the long journey
  • We must keep our eyes on the ultimate prize
Like Israel in Amos' time, we risk spiritual famine when we lose focus on God's Word. Like Martha, we risk missing Jesus' presence when we're distracted by good but lesser things.
This Week: Be Detailed in Your Focus on God
Set Aside Time
Like Mary, choose to sit at Jesus' feet daily through prayer and scripture reading.
Examine Priorities
Ask yourself: Am I letting good things eclipse the better thing? Where is my attention focused?
Act with Purpose
Let your service flow from your time with God, not replace it. Keep the finish line in view.
Let's be attentive in our focus on God, running our race with endurance and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.