Take Your Brain Off Autopilot!

Here’s a little exercise I conducted with the young people in my literacy program. I’ve never done it in print, so I don’t know if it works the same, but walk with me…

Okay, say the word “stop” out loud three times. STOP. STOP. STOP.
Now spell the word “stop” three times. S T O P. S T O P. S T O P.
Now answer this question: What do you do at a green light?
If you answered “stop”, you’re wrong. You should stop reading this and go back to the beginning of this paragraph.

If you reread the paragraph above more than twice and are wondering what the answer is, the answer is “go.” Seriously. Try this out on your friends. When this exercise is performed live, 90% of the time, people get the answer wrong on the first try. That’s because we often allow our brains to work in “autopilot” mode. We go through a large percentage of our lives not really thinking about the things we do or the reasons we do them.

Putting your brain on autopilot has its benefits. It allows you to multitask. You can simultaneously perform automatic functions such as drinking your coffee and downloading files while engaging in activities that demand a little more attention, such as reading your email and answering calls. But if you wanted to do something inventive, such as write the next great American novel or create something truly unique, autopilot just won’t cut it.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” As Christians, we have to not only take our brains off autopilot, but our praise and our worship, too. Do a new thing! Read a book of the Bible you’re completely unfamiliar with. Spend a random day fasting just to hear a new word from the Lord. Visit a church you’ve never visited before and fellowship with Christians you don’t know.

I’m taking my brain off autopilot.