Let's be honest. It's really easy for our mind to get stuck in the muck and the mire and the mundane of life on planet earth. At any given moment my mind might be wrestling with a worrisome situation, thinking about my to-do list, making a mental list of things I need to pick up at the grocery store, stewing about an offense in a relationship-all while I'm putting a load of laundry into the washer and chopping onions for the pot of chicken noodle soup that I'm making for that night's small group. Whew! Keep my mind on things above? How in the world do I do that?
Start the day with Jesus.
The enemy loves for our first thoughts of the day to be negative ones - thoughts of worry, fear, and frustration, for example. He loves us to begin our day already feeling defeated. Everyone's schedule is different, and not everyone can refocus their mind by having an extended amount of quiet time or devotions in the morning. However, everyone can take a few moments to connect with God, to surrender themselves into His loving, capable hands, to cast their cares onto His strong shoulders, and to invite Him to take charge of their day.
Let negative thoughts become a signal to refocus.
Even if we start the day with Jesus, things will inevitably happen during the day that will pull our minds back into frustration, fear or other negative thoughts. You can actually train your brain to turn those negative thoughts into reminders to pray. For example, let's say that you catch yourself worrying about a financial need. Immediately stop that thought, and all of the subsequent thoughts that we tend to have about how we are going to try to fix the problem ourselves. Then just say a quick prayer to God asking Him to meet the need and to give you wisdom and insight about any action He would have you to take. God hears our thirty second prayers every bit as much as long prayers of intercession. He also hears your heart prayers when you're at work or somewhere where you can't pray aloud. I believe that the more we practice refocusing our negative thoughts into prayers, the less the enemy will torment us.
Realize that heaven is in middle of your place on earth.
"The dishes need done!" "That proposal is due to my boss by tomorrow!" "I need to remember to bake those cookies for the bake sale!" "Did you see what so and so posted on her Instagram!" "I don't think that friendship is a good one for my daughter!" Things in our life are constantly screaming for our attention. Stop, breathe, and remember God is right there with you in the middle of it all. The Holy Spirit is God on earth and God within you. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit now dwells in your innermost being and personality. Everything you need for this life is available to you. You might be earthbound and have earthly problems to deal with, but there is heavenly help right there with you. Set your mind on that more than on the problem.
"Too heavenly minded, no earthly good" is an old saying that I'm not sure is true. I think that if we keep our minds set on the things above, we'll actually be better equipped to handle our life here on earth.
Perhaps it is possible to do both. I think that God leaves us with a breath or a whisper of the heaven that is to come for us, right here on earth. We may see it in the twinkle of a child's eye or the way the snow falls on a field or even in the way a piece of trash blows across a city street. I think it is possible to focus our thoughts and our hearts on what is above even while our feet are planted firmly on the earth.
ReplyDeleteI agree! To see the image and beauty of God in others, His beauty in creation and His blessings in our lives is to think on things above, in my opinion.
DeleteGreat encouragement and insights here! Thanks so much for sharing! I especially like the section of being prompted to pray when negative thoughts enter our minds. I've been trying lately to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" and calling out lies from the enemy and replacing those lies with the Truth of Scripture.
ReplyDeleteIt has helped me so much to put this to practice in my life! I hope you find that it is a helpful practice for you as well.
Delete