Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and fully engaged in what you are doing- free from distractions and judgment.  It is the process of training your mind to leave the worries of the future and the regrets from the past and instead to enjoy the blessings that are right before you. It is living in the precious holy moment of “now.”

Mindfulness is a psychological resource that leads to peace, health, and wellness. In fact, studies show that practicing mindfulness can decrease stress and sadness, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep.

I believe that Jesus taught mindfulness.  In Matthew 6:26-34 as Jesus was instructing his followers on how NOT to worry, he says,

²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

In these verses, Jesus was teaching his followers to be mindful (or fully present in the moment). He asked them not to worry about the future, but to consider the thing right in front of them. In other words, he asked them to live in the precious holy moment of “now.”

In teaching mindfulness, Jesus asked his followers to “look at the birds.” I believe he was teaching them to be present in the moment before them and to shift their focus from their worries.

He then encouraged them (and us) to think (or mindfully meditate) on how God feeds and cares for the birds and to recognize that He will provide even more for his children. (You do not have to worry; just trust Him.)

Next, he asked his followers to “look” or to focus on the wildflowers. Again, he was asking them to be present in the moment and to focus (or mindfully meditate) on the flowers. Then, he asked them to recognize that just as God cares about the small details of the flower, He cares about the small details of his children’s lives too.

Jesus concluded by saying, “So don’t worry about tomorrow”. In other words, don’t worry about the future (or dwell on the disappointments of the past); instead, be present in the holy moment that is right before you, remembering that God is the answer to all of your needs.

APPLICATION:

As you find yourself worrying today, stop the negative thought and replace it with a mindfulness practice.  Consciously move your mind away from any worry concerning the past or future.  Focus on living in the precious holy moment that is now.

Find an object in which you can turn your focus.  Think about (or meditate) on the beauty of the object and be thankful for it.  Focus on the details of the object and the way that God perfectly designed the object for its unique job.  Take a few minutes to examine the object before releasing your mind to other (positive) thoughts. 

Choose to live in the precious holy moment of “now”!

Thanks for reading!

Love you!

Robin 🙂

Robin is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She works from a Cognitive Behavioral orientation and is certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Neurolinguistic Programming, CBT- Insomnia, Anger Management, and as a Life Coach. She is also trained in EMDR and EFT and TFT tapping and holds a master’s degree in Counseling and a Doctorate Degree in Biblical Studies. She is the founder of Atonement Centered Connectivity Therapy, a Christ Centered CBT Therapy. Follow her on Facebook at Living Imperfectly Perfect or on Instagram at living.imperfectly.perfect.