2 Peter 3:2 KJV
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
1 Chronicles 16:15 KJV
15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;
Because it is such a popular topic, you have probably seen the word mindfulness in many places and publications these days. It is touted as a positive tool to use for our mental health. And yes, many claim that it has helped, and in some cases even changed their lives.
So, what does being mindful, or the state of mindfulness, really mean?
From one source a simple explanation is “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.”
Another source says that mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”
Per a story by Sam Delany in the Telegraph we find the following. “Is it a fancy form of meditation? The truth is that modern mindfulness is a well-defined clinical treatment for a surprisingly wide range of conditions. It has been used by clinicians for five decades and, during that time, has accumulated a huge weight of evidence to support its efficacy. From stress and anxiety to depression, psychosis and pain management, mindfulness has helped millions of people across the world with an array of mental, and even some physical, illnesses. Even if you are not actually sick, practising a little bit of mindfulness has the capacity to improve the quality of everyone’s day-to-day life.”
To sum up, mindfulness is a mental state that involves continuous concentration, with awareness of our thoughts and emotions. I suppose we can say that mindfulness is becoming “one with our thoughts and feelings” and it is a technique that is used in meditation, where one focuses the mind on a particular object or thought, creating continuity of a single thought.
Spiritual Mindfulness
In this lesson we want to stress that mindfulness has an even more important purpose and function. In fact, the most important.
We have found over the years that mindfulness is an integral part of our spiritual life.
Because of this, we want to look at mindfulness as a vital part of our worship and worshipful attitude.
Satan is masterful at getting us to think about many things. He is the undisputed champion of mind pollution, which he uses to his advantage and our disadvantage.
He can cause our minds to seemingly go in many directions at once. He will focus our minds on things like our needs, our wants, jobs, finances, sports, social media, and a multitude of other things.
ALL in an effort to keep us from focusing our minds on spiritual things and being mindful of God and His blessings.
It is Vital to Our Communion with God and Our Worship
As a child of God, it is our obligation and should be our desire to be mindful of many things concerning God and our spiritual life.
In order to truly commune with God, we must delete all other thoughts from our mind and concentrate solely on Him.
Otherwise, we don’t truly worship Him at all. Therefore, learning to be mindful of God and all things spiritual, is a vital component of true worship. It is a vital component in achieving a “worshipful attitude” each day as we go about our daily tasks.
I am more convinced than ever, that mindfulness is vital in our worship, our worshipful attitude and our prayer life.
It is a tremendous help in our spiritual growth process. That is, learning and developing the habit of being mindful of God each and every day. Not just a passing thought but being truly mindful.
It is in essence, focusing our minds in a much more in-depth manner than just thinking about something.
Practice Makes Perfect
I wouldn’t dare try and advise you as to the best way for you to start. But I’ll give you a few hints that work for me.
I recommend starting, by being mindful of a few spiritual things. Here are a few examples.
Start by closing your eyes and saying “Heavenly Father, let me be mindful of YOU. Let me be mindful of YOUR power, majesty, love and grace.” As you say these words, think about the power of God and all of His glory. Don’t let Satan cause anything else to enter your mind, but keep focused on God’s power, majesty, love, grace and glory. Dwell on this thought for several minutes and you will be surprised how it will feel. You will definitely feel closer to your Father in Heaven.
Then, “Father, let me be mindful of all the blessings of this life that you have bestowed upon me.” Then as you repeat those words, think about everything that God has done for you or allowed you to do. From the least to the greatest. From the time you were saved until this moment. Be mindful of ALL that God has done for you. And don’t let Satan cause you to think about any other thing but the blessing of God. Dwell on these thoughts as long as possible.
Then, if applicable, “Father, let me be mindful of the trials and valleys that have come my way, AND the lessons you have taught me through those valleys.” Repeat these words over and over for 5 minutes or so and do not let Satan get you off track. While repeating these words, be mindful of how God has watched over you and the lessons He taught you through whatever trial has come your way.
Then, “Father in Heaven, let me be mindful of my words and actions each day. As you repeat those words over, think about your words and actions. Think about where you might fail to be the light of the world and where you succeed in bringing light to someone. Do this for 5 minutes or so.
Finally, and I believe important to do daily, is to be totally mindful of the cross of Calvary and what Jesus did for YOU on that day. Think solely about the experience of Jesus on the cross; what suffering He endured; the mocking and humiliation that the Son of God experienced; and the shed blood. Be mindful of the cross for at least 5 minutes. Then, be mindful of the love of our Lord, as He would say "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" and "it is finished" meaning the price of redemption had been paid.
These are just a few examples of practicing mindfulness, and it will become a habit if done regularly.
The bottom line is this. Creating mindfulness each day, is a part of developing a worshipful attitude (consciously and subconsciously) that we need in order to grow closer to God. And it takes practice and commitment on our part.
Believe me, if you make the commitment, you WILL see a difference in your spiritual growth and communion with God.
Philippians 4:7-9 Amplified Bible
7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
8 Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.
RVH
