Edition 57
Inattentional Blindness
Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Lord God, you are permanently involved in our lives but we don’t always see you—teach us how to be more conscious of your reality. Amen.
Introduction
“What is God doing in your life right now?”
This question typically produces an awkward pause, uncomfortable silence, and blank expressions—even amongst devout Christians. Strangely, we struggle to identify God’s work in our lives, even when it’s staring us in the face.
Here’s why: Inattentional blindness suggests that unless we pay close attention, we can miss even the most conspicuous events. Picture a teenager driving down a familiar road, conscientiously checking the speedometer, mirrors, and oncoming traffic. Too late, he notices a deer in the road. He slams the brakes but strikes the animal. Later, he insists his eyes were on the road—he was paying attention. He just never saw the deer.
His parents are sceptical. Intuitively, we believe that as long as our eyes are open, we’re seeing. But cognitive science reveals otherwise: we see startlingly little when we’re not paying attention. Just as people intuitively believe seeing requires only opening one’s eyes, we assume spiritual perception works the same way.
It doesn’t. God is actively involved in your life right now. The question isn’t whether he’s there—it’s whether you’re paying attention.
Chat Point 1
When asked “What is God doing in your life right now?”, what typically comes to mind, and why do you think this question stumps even devout Christians?
Why do you think we struggle to see God’s hand and plan unfolding in our lives, even when it should be obvious?
Are we always able to see God’s work in our lives—why or why not?
What parallels can you draw between the teenager missing the deer and us missing God’s activity in our daily lives?
What are you currently “paying attention to” in life, and how might that focus cause you to miss what God is doing?
Read
John 4:1-45
Key Focus
- Psalm 119:18 – “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
- Isaiah 42:6-7 – “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
Chat Point 2
What stood out for you in John 4?
How can we relate inattentional blindness to the disciples in this passage, and how can we relate it to the Samaritan woman?
How are you personally like the disciples in this story, and how are you like the Samaritan woman?
What are some specific reasons why we cannot see the obviousness of God in our lives—what worldly distractions blind us, and what personal distractions affect you?
How might you be the cause of blindness to others—blocking their view of God through your actions or words?
Final Thought
The disciples went to town for food, focused on physical hunger. Meanwhile, Jesus engaged a Samaritan woman at a well—a scandalous conversation that transformed her life and eventually her entire town. When the disciples returned, they were so focused on lunch they completely missed the spiritual harvest happening before their eyes.
The woman, conversely, was blind to who Jesus was until he opened her eyes. Then she saw everything differently—her past, her present, her purpose.
Psalm 119:18 captures our need perfectly: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” We need God to open our eyes because we suffer from spiritual inattentional blindness. We’re so focused on our agendas—career, relationships, finances, comfort—that we miss the deer standing in the road. We miss God’s conspicuous activity.
Isaiah 42:6-7 reveals God’s mission: to open eyes that are blind, to free captives, to release those in darkness. But here’s the challenge: God wants you to be totally aware of his absolute involvement in your life. Not occasionally. Not just during crises. Constantly.
The teenager insisted his eyes were on the road. He wasn’t lying—he just wasn’t paying attention to the right things. Are your eyes “on the road” of life whilst missing what truly matters?
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?
Closing Prayer
Loving Father, you have promised never to leave us nor forsake us—we long to see more of you in everyday life. Open the eyes of my heart. Amen.
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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
Create a concrete strategy for developing consciousness of God in your everyday life—what specific practices, times, or triggers will help you pay attention to his activity?
What are the benefits of becoming more conscious of God’s work in your life, and how could this heightened awareness change both your life and your impact on the world?
List your current worldly distractions and personal distractions that cause spiritual inattentional blindness—then identify one distraction you’ll intentionally reduce this week to see God more clearly.
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh
Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"