‘The mind has a mind of its own.’
In days like these, our thoughts are scattered like dandelion dust in the spring breeze.That’s why we need to gather our scattered mind. Gathering our wavering & wandering thoughts is part of mindfulness.
How can we gather our wondering thoughts & have a deeply grounded faith?
How can we be well-balanced & stable when we can feel just the opposite? As someone said ‘As emotionally stable as an IKEA table!’
We need to look beyond ourselves to our Maker.
In these days of pandemic, lockdowns & other unprecedented things leading to anxious thoughts,we need to remind ourselves:
‘You are the one in whom Christ delights & dwells & you live in the strong & unshakeable kingdom of God’
(James Bryan Smith)
God is our anchor in these troubled times.
He will keep us grounded in these stormy seas in 2020. So, instead of trying to cope, ‘let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.’
(Ephesians 4:23 NLT)
Renew means to give fresh life & strength to. So,
‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’
(Romans 12:2 NIV)
We can pray & ask:
‘Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us-
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.’
(Getty/Townend)
I’ve been very blessed by recently discovering Lectio365 . This is a daily audio devotional with contemplative prayer & reading designed to recentre our thoughts on God.
At the start of each lectio365 devotional we pray these words:
‘As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God.’
We can pause & be still before God in the posture of prayer. Breathe short prayers from the heart to centre our mind on God
We usually have so much inner noise & mental chatter that we need to ask God to quieten us. To settle our minds & still our souls.
We can pause & pray:
‘Be still,
and know that
I AM God!’
(Psalms 46:10 NLT)
We can notice how we are really doing & name these feelings to God.
We may be anxious, angry, down, disappointed & we can tell God & be real with Him. With His help we can untwist tangled negative thoughts.
Read some verses quietly & slowly. Read them again throughout today. Reflect & respond.Perhaps print some out or mark them in your Bible to return to or memorise
Read these verses about our day to day life- even during lockdown:
‘So here’s what I want you to do,
God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life-
your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-
and place it before God as an offering’
(Romans 12:1MSG)
Read this verse again since it follows on immediately after:
‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’
(Romans 12:2 NIV)
Read & reflect.Reframe the words into a prayer:
‘Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’
(Matt 6:34MSG)
‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’
(Philippians 4:7 NIV)
Then God’s peace will guard your mind,so Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
(John 14:1 NLT)
Read a Psalm-maybe a familiar one.Listen to Emily P Freeman read & reflect on Psalm 23.
God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
You find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
You let me catch my breath
And send me in the right direction’
(Psalm 23:1-3-The Message)
Remain grounded & steady as you gather your distracting, scattered thoughts.
‘You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted’
(Colossians 1:23 MSG)
Blessings,
Ruth x
Blessed! 