Today’s devotion is based on Week 1 of “Resolve”: Set Proper Priorities! (WATCH HERE)
Just the other day our daughter commented when she saw a white Honda CRV very similar to hers, “Everyone’s buying my car.” Are they really? Or do you just notice more?
You may have experienced this phenomenon called the “Baader-Meinhof” phenomenon. It is also called the “frequency illusion.” It is defined as a “cognitive bias that occurs when something you’ve noticed or recently learned suddenly seems to appear everywhere.”*
When something is brought to our attention, our mind begins to focus on it more and begins to notice it more. Research shows that the frequency doesn’t really increase, it just your mind picks out that thing that now is more part of your awareness.
Does this happen in our faith life?
Maybe it’s not a perfect example, but the reality is God is at work every day, all around us. The Psalmist writes:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
But maybe we wouldn’t notice this if the Lord is not on our mind. However, when the words of God and the presence of God are regularly on our heart and mind, we begin to notice things we haven’t noticed before.
Is this possible with the wise men as they studied the heavens? Since the beginning the heavens have declared the glory of God. However, because the wise men had the word of God in their hearts and mind, they were aware of what God was doing in the heavens. Were they the only ones who saw the star? We aren’t sure. But it is possible others saw a uniqueness in the heavens and simply noted it and moved on. But not the wise men, they saw the star and knew it was a fulfillment of God’s promise: Numbers 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.
The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon may not be the best explanation of what happens when the Word of God becomes more part of our life, but it certainly helps us understand that the more we are reading, learning, and memorizing God’s Word and his promises, the more we notice and are aware of God’s working around us.
WIthout the Word of God, a near-miss accident is a coincidence. With the Word of God it is the angels of God watching over and protecting God’s child. Without the Word of God, every illness or “bad” thing is a set back. With the Word of God, we notice God working good in all things, even the challenges. Without the Word of God, we carry guilt and burdens that addictions try to numb. With the Word of God, we see God’s forgiveness and power to remove guilt and carry our burdens.
But we won’t notice if God’s Word is not regularly part of our life.
Like the new car you bought and suddenly you noticed it all over town is the passage that you read today that suddenly you begin to see play out in your life and others more than you ever had.
It’s just what happens to wise people when they prioritize and spend time in God’s Word.
Apply: Pick your favorite promise of God from the Scripture. Memorize it…then notice how it plays out in your life today. For example, Jesus promised, “I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Notice how Jesus is with you today in ways you haven’t noticed before.
*https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/baader-meinhof-phenomenon.htm