35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Undivided attention. Remember how good it feels when someone really pays attention to you, really listens, and you can tell they actually care. In the counseling world we call it “unconditional positive regard.” This passages says we are to live in such a way that the Lord gets our attention, we listen to him and we care about what He is communicating to us. We often want that from Him during times of crisis. During a child’s normal development they go through a developmental milestone between 7 to 9 months old. Before that point they will pay attention to any adult who will smile, talk, get close to their face. They will smile, move, reach out, respond in kind, and even vocalize to the adult’s interest. Then something happens to the child. They respond differently to strange faces, wanting their primary caregiver’s face, comfort, protection, and security. They develop an inner circle and an outer circle. The technical name for this relationship change is attachment. We all need healthy attachments. We all need to be hooked to someone. If a child does not develop a secure attachment, they are more likely to have psychological problems later in life. The Lord wants us to have a secure attachment to Him. When we begin our eternity-life, we respond equally well to many ‘spiritual’ messages before us. But as we get to know the Master’s voice, we become attached to Him, wanting His face, comfort, protection, and security. No substitute will do. In fact when someone comes pretending, we scurry back into our Master’s arms. If you haven’t yet become selective in your spiritual journey, draw in close to Jesus. Through the Word, worship, prayer, fellowship with other Jesus-followers we become vitally connected to the One who cares for us with eternity on His mind.
The Arnold Journey 