Being Present With People
Half-attention is its own kind of absence.
On what a phone costs the person in front of you.
The big idea
You can be in the room and still not be with anyone.
What does “Being Present With People” walk through?
Value Others Above
Philippians 2:3 · KJV
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
In plain English
Do nothing out of rivalry or ego. In humility, value others above yourselves.
Attention Is A Form Of Love
There is no way to esteem someone above yourself while glancing past them. Attention is the most basic currency of love, and it is the one most easily spent elsewhere.
Quick To Listen
James 1:19 · KJV
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
In plain English
Listen first, speak carefully, and don’t rush into anger. This helps relationships stay healthy.
“Listening with a phone in your hand is not listening. It is waiting.”
A Friend At All Times
Proverbs 17:17 · KJV
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
In plain English
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for hard times.
Presence Is Cheap And Rare
You do not need advice, money, or answers to love someone well today. You need to put something down and look up.
Pray
Jesus, make me the kind of person who is actually here. Amen.
Write it down
Who deserves your undivided attention this week?
Put it down
One conversation today with nothing in your hand.
Which passages does this journey use?
3 passages, drawn from Philippians 2:3, James 1:19, Proverbs 17:17. Every verse appears here in the King James text with a plain-English line beside it, so you can read it without a commentary open. Allow about 6 minutes for the whole thing, or 7 short sittings.
- Philippians 2:3
- James 1:19
- Proverbs 17:17
Read any of these in full on the complete KJV, or look the wording up independently at Blue Letter Bible.
More in Your Phone and Your Soul
All Your Phone and Your Soul →The Attention Diet
What you feed your mind becomes your life.
What Scrolling Costs You
Counting the price of an ordinary hour.
Digital Sabbath
Practising a day that does not need you.
Your Phone And Your Prayer Life
The first thing you reach for.
The First Five Minutes Awake
How a day gets its direction.
Curating What You Consume
You are allowed to close things.