Pay Attention to When You’re Not Paying Attention – Matthew 6-7

Come, Follow Me: New Testament 2023 (Feb. 20–26)

Traffic and electronic variable message board on matrix billboard on highway warning drivers not to text while driving

Have you noticed something different when driving on the freeways? About four months ago, the Department of Transportation stopped using silly signs to help us buckle up and slow down. People loved the humorous messages but haven’t noticed they are gone.

John Gleason, spokesperson for DOT explains, “But like anything when you’ve done it for a long period of time, people can get used to it, and it just becomes something that people aren’t focusing on as much anymore.”

When we stop noticing things because we’ve seen them so often it’s called “habituation.” For example, who hasn’t driven home without remembering the actual drive!

Don’t let reading the Sermon on the Mount be an example of habituation. Consider it the best general conference talk ever given, worth reading deeply and repeatedly. President Harold B. Lee described the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount as “The Lord’s Constitution for a Perfect Life.”

Here are some examples of wisdom contained in these scriptures:

Worry too much? Study Matthew 6:25-34
Want to improve your prayers? Study Matthew 7:7-12, Matthew 6:5-13
Looking for truth? Study Matthew 7:15-20
Feeling hurt, resentful? Study Matthew 5:43-47; Matthew 6:14, 15
Confused on life’s priorities? Study Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 7:24-27

Answers to our hardest questions are found in the Sermon on the Mount. Come to these familiar words with new eyes to discover what you’re seeking.

To help, here are some new highway signs:

“Slow down. You read too fast.”

“Save warp speed for Captain Kirk.” –UDOT highway sign

“Dear friends, the road ahead may be bumpy, but our destination is serene and secure. So, fasten your seatbelt, hang on through the bumps, and do what's right. Your reward will be eternal.” –President Russell M. Nelson

Emotional Resilience Skill: Recognize when you’re no longer paying attention to familiar experiences like driving or reading scriptures. Gently, bring your focus to the present moment by looking for something new in the experience.