How many of us worry? How many of us feel the racing heart of anxiety and stress and needing to do but never having enough time.
I do. I’m sure at some points you do too. It’s a modern mystery how we can have so much to do and so little time to do it.
I’ve found, ironically enough, that some part of the solution to having to much to do and not enough time is in slowing down. Ann Voskamp, writes in her book One Thousand Gifts, about slowing down time by focusing the weight of your attention all in the present moment. “This is where God is. In the present. I AM – His very name. I want to take my shoes off. I AM, so full of the weight of the present, that time’s river slows to a still…and God Himself is timeless.” Being fully present in any moment helps us know the fullness of God. She writes of giving thanks for the gifts God gives in each moment, but we cannot be thankful if we don’t first notice.
When we slow down to notice, take the time to be mindful and fully present in each moment. Meditation.
There are many ways in which one can do this…
As a Christian who practices meditation and other mindfulness practices sometimes I get weird looks. And to be honest when I was first introduced to these things I was wary. VERY WARY. I was the one giving the weird looks.
I had heard my fair share of comments about an idle mind being the devil’s playground and how yoga was paganistic and evil. I was very cautious about unfamiliar spiritual things, and I really needed to understand before being willing to watch or participate in some things. To be completely honest, when I engage in meditation and other mindfulness practices I am still very careful in who leads those exercises and how they are done.
Growing up as a pastor’s kid I have always been aware of the spiritual world. I know that demons are real and that the devil is seeking to destroy all of those who love God, especially those doing His work. I respect the power of the spiritual, but I know the Holy Spirit who dwells within me is infinitely more powerful than any demons or principalities of the air.
I once heard someone speak about yoga, and they described it as clearing your mind and opening it to whatever may come. So I began to wonder, (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) how you can open your mind, clear your mind and expect that the results are not inviting to the evil one.
About three years ago now I met a Christian man who looked at meditation and other similar practices in a very different light. He taught me that meditating did not mean that you stop filtering what you let enter your mind. He taught me that there are many spiritual benefits that I lose out on if I close the door on a whole host of practices just because I don’t understand them, or because I am afraid of them. So here is what I’ve learned, and it has taught me about much more than what it means to meditate.
Every part of life can be used for good or evil. The practices themselves are not inherently evil, or good. It is how you use them. Meditation is a type of prayer, a way to spend time with God. To take a deep breath and to pause is a gift God gives. We pray while walking, sitting, kneeling, driving,… We can pray anywhere. But there is something different about being intentional to set aside time to only pray. Deep breathing reminds us that He is the breath of life. The intentional calm is a choice to turn away from the busyness and chaos of this world and choose to listen to the voice of God.
In all things, I choose to set my mind on God or on things that are not of God. I can do that while meditating, I can do that while going to the grocery store. There was a song that was sung when I was little, it went something like this:
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see,
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see.
Oh be careful little ears what you hear….
Oh be careful little tongue what you say….
Oh be careful little hands what you do….
Oh be careful little feet where you go….
Oh be careful little heart whom you trust….
Oh be careful little mind what you think…
We must be careful what we let into our hearts and into our minds. We must be careful what we see, what we say, what we do. It seems so much harder now with technology bringing everything to one’s fingertips, the busyness and the ability to be introduced to a million things without even leaving my seat is overwhelming. It is much more challenging to control and what you do and do not think about, worry about, or even become aware of.
I have learned there is a benefit to stopping to pausing for a few moments. It reduces anxiety and it helps me to connect with my friend Jesus. It reminds me that I don’t have to run through life moving a million miles an hour just trying to see what all I can get done.
Meditation reminds me that people are not interruptions. It helps me keep my priorities straight. It provides a space in my day for remembering. For being reminded that God’s ways are not the ways of the world, but his ways are often backward from what we deem logical.
Meditation focuses my heart on following Jesus all the day long. It reminds me that I am not alone. I feel His presence when I seek it. God is always there, but I am not always aware of God’s presence. I am not always paying attention. Taking a few moments to notice and be intentional to spend time with Him reminds me of HIs presence.
Since I have incorporated this practice into my life I have seen and experienced a new side of God. I have also realized that there were many times when I did things that fell into this category unknowingly.
I want to encourage you to find new ways to connect with God. I promise it will be worth it.
If you would like to find out more about meditation, and some of the various exercises that fit into that category feel free to follow the link below and read the mindfulness page on my website.
https://cbwcounseling.com/mindfulness/
