Arlene Inouye

April 2006

Ever hear of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? ADHD is marked by listening problems, difficulty following instructions, distractibility, difficulty sitting still or remaining quiet; the mind and body are "on the go." Do any of these things describe your relationship with God or your ministry? Perhaps you have what might be called spiritual ADHD.

Spiritual ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity in ministry and failure to pay attention to one's inner life. There is an "attention deficit," a lack of focus on one's relationship with God and self. It is an attention deficit and hyperactivity that leads to disorder.

We know the principle well. When things don't get maintained or nurtured, they fail to fulfill the purpose for which they were made. If plants don't get watered, they wither. If marriages aren't cared for, they break down. When radiators aren't filled, they crack. When we fail to pay attention to our souls, the same happens to us. We dry up. We break down. We even crack.

So, what do we do? We seek to do the very thing that initially magnifies our condition. We practice solitude. Alone with God, we are confronted with our need to talk excessively and our inability to listen in silence. We experience our tendency toward distraction and the struggle to sit still and be quiet. We recognize our inability to follow God's instructions. But hopefully, we also confess our attention deficit and hyperactivity for what they are.

Then, by God's grace and our perseverance in solitude, something marvelous happens. Eventually we come to a place of rest rather than restlessness, a place of watering rather than withering, of deep reflection, not distraction. It is an inner space where we are able to focus, listen, and truly hear God's voice and not just our own. With growing certainty and gratitude, we know it to be the place out of which we can best live out the purpose for which we were made.

http://www.fuller.edu/cll/dmin/emails/DMINupdate/Apr06/SpiritualADHD.asp