Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37
It’s easy to be consumed by our own thoughts as we endure our busy personal lives. So consumed that we may go through the busyness of our days only to realize we didn’t “fit” God into our schedules. How can we cultivate a mindset that is focused on God throughout our days? This post is all about resting our faith in God and loving Him with all our mind.
People’s facial expressions are quite telling. They easily reveal the inner thoughts of someone, even someone we might not know. On the train coming back from work- I can read the stress on people’s faces, and sometimes can even hear it.
Sitting in church, you can often see the peace, joy or gratitude through someone worshipping. This is the state of mind I always want to be in, even when things are not going as planned.
How can we allow God to renew and transform our way of thinking? How can we let our minds, thoughts, and ways of thinking belong to the Lord? This blog post is all about the importance of putting our faith in God by creating a mindset focused on Him.
The Importance of a Faith-Focused Mindset
Creating a mind focused on God is beyond Biblical knowledge and knowing about Jesus. Although it’s vital to know about God, to know scripture and the history that defines our faith, knowing Jesus intimately and offering space to hear Him speak throughout your day is what defines a relationship with God versus a religion.
Aligning our mind and focusing our thoughts on the presence of God frequently through our days reminds us that we are seated in Him in heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Let it be our unconscious way of thinking, to give us direction and guidance in our day. A faith-focused mindset allows us to simply be still and sit in His holy presence. Like a child recognizes their parent’s voice, let us root ourselves in our faith to hear and know God more clearly and intimately.
Here are 4 practical ways to draw nearer to God to create and practice a faith-focused mindset.
1. Daily & Frequent Conversation and Prayer
Often my head is filled with internal dialogue and thoughts as I go through my day. Consecrate your thoughts and internal conversations to God. Daily and frequent prayer allows our minds to be lifted up to God. Whether it be prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of adoration or simply asking for God’s strength for the day- look to Him and speak to Him through your day as you would a friend, because He is our most dearest friend.
2. Quiet Time
Starting off your day with time with God allows you to start your day with the right heart and a peaceful mind. Through the word, journaling, devotions and memorizing scripture- fill your mind with the living truth. Sit in his Holy presence as you absorb His word, as you create space to hear Him and praise Him. As Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, let us yearn to know Jesus more and spend time with Him.
3. Hearing from Community
Hearing from community and other Christians can increase your faith by hearing about how God is moving uniquely in each of our lives. Gather frequently to worship, read the word and encourage one another. Often, when I get together with friends and share how Jesus is moving in our lives, there are things mentioned that stick with me throughout the week. Encouragement rooted in God stays with us. Carry this encouragement and support from your community into your week. Where two or more are gathered He is present (Matt 18:19).
4. Serving Your Neighbours
Jesus called us to serve and love one another. God calls us to love our neighbour- the second greatest commandment. We must prioritize and make time in our schedules to serve our neighbours out of love rooted in Jesus. We are serving not out of our own strength or for our own recognition but to be the hands and feet of Jesus and continue His work. Like Martha was busy serving God, let our weeks be filled with busyness not for the world but for God.
Let us live and experience life, involving God in all of it. My prayer is that our lives and minds will be consumed by God’s presence in everything we do, to glorify our Father in heaven. Commit to devoting your faith in God today.
So, if you want to know the Lord Jesus Christ, you must live with him. First he must himself speak to you, and afterwards you must abide in him. He must be the choice Companion of your morning hours, he must be with you throughout the day, and with him you must also close the night; and as often as you may wake during the night, you must say, ‘When I awake, I am still with thee.’ ” (Spurgeon)
