So on Monday I was helping out my mom by closing our garage door. Now you see, I’m short, only five foot, and we have an old fashioned garage door, you know, the kind that you have to pull open or pull shut? So I was trying to pull the garage door shut when it was just a tad bit too high for me to reach (because I’m shot), and long story short, I ended up spraining my right shoulder.
That night, as you can or cannot probably imagine, was a long night. I couldn’t get comfortable, and all I could think about was what the next day would bring for me. When I finally got initially asleep, I woke up at about one in the morning. As I sat up in the middle of the night, tired but yet wide awake, all I could think about was my injury.
As I was sitting awake at one in the morning, God revealed to me a very important idea, one that I’ve personally been struggling with, and one that I’ve been reading about lately. It’s the idea of keeping God at the center of our focus. When our mind wanders, it should wander to God. As my shoulder was my mind’s default, nothing else really seemed to matter. So too it should be with God. When God is our mind’s default, nothing else should seemingly matter either.
Well you may ask, “Why should God be our mind’s default?” Or maybe you’re the one who says “oh course God should be our default, it would only be right.” But the reality of this concept is that life, love or possessions get in our way of making God our default. I’ll be honest, when I sit in history class, God isn’t the first person that comes to mind when my mind wanders, and I’m ashamed of that- I’m just being honest.
So back to our original question, “why should God be our mind’s default?” Well there are a few main reasons. One would be that when He’s all we think about, everything else will fall into place. When we constantly seek His face, chances are we are doing His will, and when we are in His will, He’s got everything taken care of. Jesus said it Himself in Matthew 6:33. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” (NIV)
Secondly, we should keep Him at the center of our thoughts because it keeps us from falling into sin. When Jesus is at the forefront of our minds, we will do what He commands out of love for Him. It reminds us that we are living for something, Someone greater then ourselves.
Lastly, this idea is important because it actually grows us closer to God when He is at the center of our thoughts and mind. We pray to Him more, we think about Him more, we do what pleases Him more, and these all result as a stronger relationship with the King of Kings.
Now knowing these things is one thing, and practicing them, and wanting to practice them, are another story. A few tips to apply these things are one- be in the Word. Reading the Bible will fill your head with truth about God. When you’re mind wanders, it wanders to whatever you think about most or fill it with. If you’re filling your mind with the Bible, you’re mind will go there automatically. Another thing is to pray in ever circumstance. Make it a goal to thank the Lord in the good moments, and pray for help in the troublesome times. You’ll be amazed that in every circumstance there is something to be praying about. Lastly, make God your master. Many of us say and think that God is our master. But is He really? Does He control your thoughts? Does He have a say in your life? Is there room for Him in your daily schedule? If the answer is no to any of these things, God is not your master. Whatever is controlling your thoughts, determining your actions, or taking priority in your life is your master. You can change this by making God your priory, by making Him what you are living for.
In conclusion, I’ll leave you with a couple of Psalms that go along nicely with this topic. They are rather encouraging. Make today the day God is your master, and God is your mind’s default.
“But my eyes are fixed on You, O Sovereign Lord; in You I take refuge…” (Ps. 141:8)
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.” (Ps. 73:25)
<3Stephanie