Getting Gods Attention
There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer…Cornelius said, “Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light. He said, ‘Cornelius, your daily prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. I want you to send to Joppa to get Simon, the one they call Peter. He’s staying with Simon the Tanner down by the sea.’ “So I did it-I sent for you. And you’ve been good enough to come. And now we’re all here in God’s presence, ready to listen to whatever the Master put in your heart to tell us.” (Acts 10:1, 2, 30-33 MSG)
This epic moment in the spread of the Word & The Spirit to all nations took place first in the consistent daily and faithful walk of Cornelius. Here was a man not even allowed to enter the inner courts of the Temple because of his race, but He entered Gods gaze because of how he lived his life. He was a man of position who need not lower himself or concern himself with those beneath his social status and yet daily he was found working with the needy. What he did on the outside flowed from what God was doing on the inside as he built a relationship with God through a “habit of prayer”. This mans character was also reflected in his family and his quick willingness to open up to a new revelation from God. His attitude could have been resistant to sending for a Jew when his life was already so clearly structured on the goodness of God. This was most likely what God loved most about Cornelius’ heart. While Peter is arguing with God in Joppa about eating unclean things, Cornelius moves into action without hesitation and sends for Peter. He invited a stranger into his home and humbled himself to learn from Peter. A Captain of the Italian guard kneeling before an ex-fisherman. A Gentile and his entire family kneeling before a Jew and his six friends… All because God said so. No wonder Cornelius caught Gods attention. May the same be true of me.
As is slurp down my coffee while writing this I am well aware of habits. This habit is not particularly destructive, but is nonetheless a habit. Every morning one of my first movements is towards the coffee maker. Often I am barely conscious due to the early hour the Twins decide to get up, but it is such a daily ritual that I could and probably have done it in my sleep. I don’t think this is something that is going to catch Gods attention. The story of Cornelius however reveals some habits that are guaranteed to catch Gods eyes. The habits of daily prayer, helping the needy, ministering to my family, and a ready willingness to obey. This is not to imply that I can somehow earn Gods favor by my actions or that God does not already see everything all the time everywhere. There is however a longing in my heart to please my Savior, to grow ever deeper in love with Him, to know His heart on a deeper level. So, if the Scripture reveals habits that catch Gods attention I want those to by mine. It’s a shifting of focus from what I want to do, to what He wants me to be doing. I spend too much of my time letting things catch my attention rather then catching Christ’s attention. .
I realize that one plays into the rest. A daily habit of conversation with You results in a heart of humility, a hunger to serve, and readiness to not miss a single thing that catches Your attention. Break my heart with the things that break Yours. Let me see what You see. Let me care about what You care about. Let me be willing to humble myself and sit at the feet of others no matter how much I think I’ve got this Christian thing down.
