GUEST POST | Christian mindfulness exercises are about helping you live the life you were called to live. Most of us think we are mindful but in reality, we are not. Ever watched a movie and after the movie, you have no idea what the movie was about because somehow you were looking at the screen but not watching the movie? Perhaps you attended a conference or a service at church but cannot remember what the sermon was about that evening. That is what we call being absent-minded. That’s where the concept of mindfulness comes in. It’s about being present in the moment.
It’s about living today to the fullest, cherishing every minute and second as it comes by. It is about finding happiness and peace in your life daily. Sometimes life has a way of grabbing us back to the present moment or making us appreciate everything we have. Some people go through traumatic near-death experiences that make them more appreciative of life, like illness and accidents. But you don’t need life to remind you that life itself is precious and should be cherished. Here we will talk about Christian mindfulness and how to be present in the moment. What does God say about being mindful and what are some of the Christian mindfulness exercises that you can try? Let’s get straight into it
Practical Christian Mindfulness Exercises
1. Hit the brakes, stop, and breathe
Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth”.
The first Christian mindfulness practice is to take a moment to breathe. God calls us to stop the rush and worrying and to focus on him. Being still and quietly does not only apply when we are at church in the presence of God. It talks about acknowledging and appreciating our daily life and every moment. Mindful awareness allows us to see what God is doing here and now. There is no speed limit when you are living the life God has given you, that’s why most of us go through life as if we are racing on Fomula1.
If you do not set a speed limit for your life, you will rush through life so fast that you will forget to enjoy a slice of pizza or ice cream on a hot day. You are a human being and as much as you want to do everything you cannot. Be okay with knowing that you are not in control and that you cannot be everywhere all the time, and neither will you be able to fulfill all the needs and wants of those around you.
Don’t be a people pleaser at the expense of your peace of mind and mindfulness. Your happiness does not lie with other people.
2. Avoid being a busy bee, spend your time intentionally.
In your daily life, decide to set aside time to mindfully enjoy your favorite beverage. Be it in the morning or the afternoon or throughout the day, take time out to sit down and relax at home; create a wellness experience at home to help you relax. Stop being busy and smell the air outside; what does it smell like? What sounds do you hear when you wake up in the morning and at night? What do your house and office space smell like? God took 6 six to create the earth and everything in it (Genesis chapter 1), we just need to take a moment to appreciate everything. Mindfulness is all about noticing the small things.
We all say we are busy, but the question remains: busy with what? Is what you are busy with daily contributing to fulfilling your greater purpose on earth. Does it bring glory to God, and does it leave you fulfilled? Perhaps you are just going through the motions of life aimlessly, but you feel very busy. Take time to assess your busyness. In Psalm 127 verses 1-2 we are warned of building things without God. We are warned about wasting our energy, effort, sweat, and tears on things that God has not instructed us to do. It reads “If the LORD does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; if the LORD does not protect the city, it is useless for the sentries to stand guard. It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the LORD provides for those he loves, while they are asleep”.
Instead of being busy, decide to rest. God has got your back
3. Do not live in the future and don’t worry about tomorrow
There is no shame in hoping for a better tomorrow but do not live there. Pray about your future but leave it all in God’s hands and trust that he has it under control. Live in the peace of knowing that he who holds the future has your best interest at heart. As Paul plainly put it in Romans 8:28 “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose”. With this in mind, you can happily enjoy the present.
Jesus himself strongly warns about worrying about our future and whether we would have enough to eat and drink or even clothes to wear. He tells us to live like birds or flowers in the fields, carefree. He tells us this in the parable found in Matthew 6:26-30. In these bible verses, He comforts us by reminding us that God will take care of our every need the same he takes care of the rest of creation.
In verses 31 and 32 He says, “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things”. So, whenever you feel yourself worrying and stressing about the future, read this parable and remember that god’s word is always true, and it never changes. Hold onto the sacred word and Christian faith in your practice of mindfulness. Besides worrying and stressing is the last thing your body and mind needs, you need to be at peace.
4. If I cannot worry about tomorrow or yesterday, what should I be thinking about it?
In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to “fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable”. Being mindful Christian means that we think about the right things that are in connection with the word of God.
This is an effective way to focus on the life that God has given you today. As you can see from the list, worry is not one of the things that we should be thinking about. We replace worry with the word of God. Paul goes a step further to remind us to live a prayer-filled life, he says “Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart” – Philippians 4:6.
Choosing to think about what is noble and true includes thinking about what is positive as well. Avoid negative thoughts. Even if your own experiences are overwhelming and you are not coping, force yourself to look for the silver lining everywhere you go. I often find that when my mind is clouded by anxious thoughts, listening to worship music, or sitting in a quiet place helps me to refocus. Reading a good book also helps me to stop worrying and to stop thinking about things that are not worthwhile. Reading is one of the greatest Christian mindfulness exercises you can do.
 |
| Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash |
5. Practice contemplative prayer
Have you found that when you are praying sometimes your mind wanders away and starts to think of other things? This is why mindfulness exercises include contemplative practices.
You have to think about your prayer life and what you want to pray about. This is where a prayer list comes in handy. You have to actively include prayer in your everyday life. During your prayer seek god’s presence. Have devotional time every day dedicated to prayer. Talk to God, he is your father. Tell him what you are grateful for today. Worship God in the present. This is the best way to practice being mindful as a Christian. Invest in daily prayer. You will begin to realize that your spiritual growth increases and the power of the holy spirit will do marvelous works through you. Contemplative prayer will have a significant change on your spiritual health and your life in general.
6. Start your day with meditation.
Meditation is a way to gather your thoughts from all other places and keep them in one place. Find a peaceful place and enjoy Christian meditation practices. You can start your session by reading your daily morning devotion. Use the meditative practices to think about what you have read and to see how you can apply that in your daily life. Meditating is a great way to switch off and focus on your thoughts. If you meditate in a natural environment, meditation will help you appreciate and be one with god’s creation.
If you find that what you are going through in life is unbearable and you don’t know what to say to God in prayer, then I suggest you keep a few biblical passages that you can read. Meditation is about being quiet and peaceful. Even Jesus took time out to be alone and spend time with his Father. Despite the multitudes that followed him all day he still made time to be alone and move away from people and gather his thoughts and pray. Luke 5: 15-16 says “But the news about Jesus spread all the more widely, and crowds of people came to hear him and are healed from their diseases. But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed”.
Jesus was very busy, but he made the time to be alone, you can also do it. Mindfulness is about finding peace amidst the storm. The best time to meditate is during your morning routine when you wake up. It gives your day structure and purpose.
7. Lend a helping hand
Spending time helping others at any given moment is the best form of mindfulness. When you help others, you step out of your self-centered world and focus on fulfilling the needs of others. When we live our daily lives, we forget that we have the ability to help others with the little that we have. The best part about helping others is that it puts a smile on someone’s face. When they smile, you smile too, and you do your emotional health a favor. Just by being kinder to someone and offering to buy someone coffee, you have already given them a better life.
The biblical way is to not say I will help someone tomorrow when you can help them today (Proverbs 3: 27-28 says “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now”). Even if it’s not giving money but giving your time is also a form of mindfulness activity that will keep you grounded and alive. Life is better when we are mindful of our surroundings, and we make the effort to be in the present.
8. Christians are allowed to play too.
Christians are not as uptight as they appear to be, well at least they don’t have to be. Mindfulness means that you get out and get active. Your physical health is as important as your emotional health. The easiest way and simple way to decide to take your physical wellness seriously are to go for a walk. If you have kids, nieces or nephews spend time with them running around the yard or on the beach. In as much as they will enjoy playing with you, you will enjoy getting out of the house. Christian mindfulness exercises are not only about spiritual exercises but also about taking care of your body which is the temple of God.
9. Be grateful
We are only grateful when we live in the present. Gracefulness doesn’t happen when we are waiting for a massive event or for God to answer our biggest prayers. In as much as God is in the big things and he wants to do big things for you, he is also in the small things. If we fail to realize and cherish the little things, we will never say thank you and we will never live in the present.
In 1 Kings 19:11-13, we read of how God sent Elijah to go and meet him in the mountain. First, there was wind, then an earthquake, and then fire, and God was not in those things. God came as a whisper. That is the nature of God. So, if we think he will appear in our lives as a miraculous force we will definitely miss him in the whispers. Intentionally practice Christian mindfulness exercises in your day-to-day life.
10. Dedicate time to those around you
We touched on dedicating time to strangers or people who need help from you, but we also have to talk about those closest to you. The ones you spend most of your time with and those who love and care about you. If you are going to lunch with a friend or friends, put your phone on silent and focus on good conversation and good food for just one hour. This may be difficult if you have children, or you run a company that heavily relies on you. Even if you just have many responsibilities where you feel like if you don’t check your phone then the world collapses, try to live in the moment.
It may be true that the world will burn down if you don’t touch your phone but remember that you can only be there for your loved ones if you are emotionally healthy and mindful. If you go out and half the time you are on your phone, what message are you sending to the person or people you are going out with?
Final Thoughts
Next time you sit down to watch TV, do exactly that. Do not get distracted by your phone. There are a million distractions, but you have to choose what you put your focus on. Decide today that you will improve the quality of your life today by being mindful. Try to use these Christian mindfulness exercises and activities to help you to live in the moment. Focus on today, focus on this hour, and this minute. Your creator made you in his image and he wants you to enjoy life today because tomorrow is not promised to anyone of us.
About me
I am Geologist by profession and a writer through passion. I believe that life is too short to live through every experience but those who have lived through it have a responsibility to share all the gold nuggets and gems they have discovered with the rest of us. I write to inspire and build each person to be the best version of themselves whether alone or in their relationships with others. As spiritual beings having a human experience, let’s make the most of it!
Post a Comment