Quiet, Alert

I read an article yesterday that I thought was interesting. It's from another blog, called MindBodyGreen, and while I don't align 100% with its purposes and beliefs (a little more "new age" than I tend to consider for myself), it did have some interesting insights and I do typically enjoy their content overall.

In the article, "The 4 Spiritual Intentions Deepak Chopra Lives By," I noticed something that I have noted many times before- that the practices of "healthy" people almost always align with the practices of the Bible. Sometimes they give the disciplines a different name, but the heart of what God has for us really is in our best, most healthful interest. Way to go God! 

Below is the article, if you would like to read it for yourself. In this post, I am going to comment on the third point listed in the article, and relate it to what I have been learning and experiencing in my season of transition and preparation.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/spiritual-icon-deepak-chopra-on-the-4-intentions-he-lives-by?utm_term=pos-3&utm_source=mbg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=180224

In the article, it talked about the importance of a quiet, reflective mind. Yay! I'd say I've got one of those! ...At least most of the time. The past couple of weeks have been a testing ground for both the strength of my mind and the depth of my faith. Within these past weeks, I received news from my family that made my heart ache and saw friends go through some tough, dark times. I have been asked by the girls I serve on my floor to be a support as they go through major changes like getting ready to graduate and to simply be a listening ear as their families go through some very significant adjustments. And, of course, I am preparing for many life changes of my own- grieving not being an RA and dealing with the changes that will bring. Needless to say, everything externally is going well but internally it has felt rather tumultuous! 

Until one day, when I had a perspective shift. I realized that those sad, hard things were circumstances, and that I was allowing them to cloud my mind with unnecessary worry. The bible challenges us, what will worry add to your life? It doesn't add a day and it most definitely does not fix the circumstances that we have already deemed out of our control. 

Instead, the Word of God tells us to renew our minds. To bring everything in prayer in petition to God and He will exchange those things for peace in Christ that will guard our hearts and minds. The Bible tells us that God desires for us to operate with a sound mind. 

I remember one time, I was out evangelizing with a group in San Francisco, California, where I am originally from. One of my pals was very nervous, and I could tell that his mind was fretting. I turned to him and said, "Hey! Stop that! You know the one thing you need right now for this evangelism is to be in tune with the Holy Spirit, and you won't be able to hear him if you're freaking out right now! You need God's peace if you're going to hear Him clearly right now." He looked at me, realized that the enemy was definitely pulling a classic distraction/anxiety tactic, and then a couple of us prayed over each other, that God would be with us as we go out, and that we would be in tune with the Holy Spirit and carry His Peace.

So whether you are in a busy city trying to evangelize, or your life feels like that busy city- bustling  with unsettling news and concerning circumstances that are out of your control, or if you simply don't know what's next in your life and that freaks you out- bring it. Bring it to the foot of the cross like anything else you would. Set it down there. Breathe. 

'Cuz I mean, you can freak out as long as you want. Nobody is going to stop you. But adopting a quiet, reflective mind is quite biblical in this light. It is the result of meditating, or fixating your thoughts, on something other than the height of your fears or circumstances. For us, it can be fixing our thoughts on God's goodness on our lives in the past, His attributes, or just dwelling on powerful scripture that relates to what we are going through. 

Hoping and praying this helps! My prayer for you, friends, is that you walk in FREEDOM that the Lord has for you! That He will increase in you, in spite of what life throws at you. 

Prayers always,

Melissa xoxo