Mindfulness is a term that confounds Christians. However, if I said, “Men and women live their lives in mindlessness, no one would think a second thought about it.” Mindlessness is living life as described mindlessly. I live my life on auto-pilot, going through each day without awareness or appreciation of any particular moment. I am alive and breathing, but I live like the Walking Dead. I am like a subconscious robot, going through the motions of life out of touch with my thoughts and feelings. It is living my life on the surface, pushing down and repressing troubling thoughts and feelings. I was oblivious to my inner essence, soul, and spirit.
Mindlessness helps create the craziness and chaos that results in my belief that the world I live in is hopeless and without meaning. People live and die every day, bewildered and overwhelmed by the mindless insanity of the world. Suicide, depression, and mental illness partially result from thoughts being mindlessly out of control. My thoughts impact my outward behavior. Mindlessness hinders me from experiencing the awareness of God’s presence and love. (The Practice of Christian Meditation and Prayer)
Mindfulness is taboo for many Christians because they cannot dissociate its rich meaning from its link to Buddhist meditation. It is essential to understand Christian and Buddhist traditions are not the same. They are opposites in understanding their perception and understanding of God. In Buddhism, mindfulness is a word used by the Buddha to proclaim the enlightenment of his life as “being fully awake.” It is a way to be aware of our feelings and perceptions and live mindful of everything around us.
The desired way for the Christian is not to live on auto-pilot like a robot but to engage in the life God has given. We live in the moment’s fullness by letting go of the past and the future. We learn to release our thoughts, whatever they may be. Mindfulness is bringing our minds back to the present moment. It is a simple concept with high power if we practice and apply it to our lives. (God in the Present Moment)
The study of Christian mindfulness and solitude is a way to practice the awareness of God’s presence. It is the desire to be fully awake and alive in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God’s word becomes alive and active, permeating our souls and spirit. It is no longer living in a non-mindful way, separated from God. We no longer live a life based on the lies of a self-focused world but live in the truth of God’s love and plan. Mindfulness is a safeguard against living life on auto-pilot sleeping in a fallen fantasy world separated from God.
