The turnaround and transformation of my heart and mind to follow Christ is a moment-by-moment process of letting go and releasing my self-centered thoughts and exchanging them with God-focused thoughts. As I become fully conscious and aware of the resurrected Christ living in me, I mindfully practice the surrender of my life over to the will of God. I am mindful that the resurrected Christ is now the center and focus of my life. Christian mindfulness is a Christ-centered practice.
There is a misconception that the practice of mindfulness or being mindful of Christ and releasing your thoughts empties your mind and opens you to demonic activity. The opposite is true, for it takes your full attention and effort to focus entirely on Christ in the present moment. Without the practice of learning to be mindful of Christ, we live our Christain life mindlessly, unaware of Christ’s presence.
Christian mindfulness or mindful Christianity is the practice and discipline of being acutely aware of Christ’s presence abiding with me the moment I wake up in the morning and throughout my day. Acts 17:28 NIV declares, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” I live and breathe not in my power or strength but in His power and strength. Every breath I take, and the next breath I breathe is a gift from God each day.
I make it a discipline to be aware of His presence by focusing my thoughts and heart on Him no matter the number of people I am around or what I am doing moment by moment. I experience living life in the glory of God when I encounter the full essence of Christ living in me. I am aware of my thoughts and the content of those thoughts casting aside and releasing the ideas that center on my will and not the Father’s will. (Pulled to the Center)I take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ as the apostle Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians 10:5.
Practice the presence of Christ today, stopping periodically to reflect on what is going on in your feelings and thoughts. Before you go back to your daily routine each time, pray and be mindful, “I live and breathe, and have my being and my very life exists in knowing and following you!”
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