PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

 

^{August 1, 2024}

 

Oh God, who is both able and willing to assist me, on what grounds should I not place my entire confidence in You, to surrender myself to Your providence and await the outcomes of Your generosity? You take care of all. Thus, I will entrust myself completely to You, living perpetually in Your presence, and being guided by Your grace and love. Amen.

 

^{Matthew 6:25-34}

25 “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Ah, Worry, that sense of insecurity, unease, and fear over what negative events may happen – as unrealistic as these concerns may be – is one of the most unpleasant emotions that you can experience as a human being. It is also one of the most common. Studies suggest that our main areas of worry fall into these categories primarily: Money and the future, Job Security, Relationships, and Health. What are your worries today? Do your worries fall into one of these categories above?

From our Bible reading today we are made aware that worry is not a new experience, for even Jesus confronts worry in his teaching. So, it must have been a problem for people in his day just as it is in ours.

Anxiety, anxious thoughts, and insecurity are the byproducts of fear. This experience that we all have is one of the great distractions in our life. It really has to do with what we set our hearts toward, or on. I remember reading in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship the following: “earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they are the very source of all anxiety. If our hearts are set on them, our reward is an anxiety whose burden is intolerable.”

Jesus message here in Mathhew 6 is to invite us to practice “mindfulness.” Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what you’re paying attention to right now. In other words mindfulness invites us to live in the moment, not in the next moment, or next hour or next day. . . . 

You see, focusing on the here and now helps us to have an awareness of God, God is always in action in our present moments. The goal or purpose of spiritual practices in to help us notice where God is at work. It’s hard to notice God’s activity when we are preoccupied with worries about the future. When Jesus taught his followers to let go of their anxiety, he pointed out visible examples in the world they could see all around them. The flowers in the field and the birds flying overhead aren't troubled by worry. When you practice mindfulness, you become more like birds and flowers, present and attuned to God's provision.

Here are some ways to practice mindfulness:

1. Take a moment to still your body and mind. (Remember those breathing exercises from a few days ago?) If thoughts about the future trouble you, and distract you, give yourself permission to put those issues on hold. 

2. Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to right now.

3. Let go of the need to judge it, just give the present moment your full attention.

Can you identify your greatest fear? Could you confess it to God? Offer your fears and anxieties to your loving God in your prayers today.

Don't forget to thank God for sharing this moment with you.

Let’s Pray

God, sustain me in this present moment as you sustain all your creation. Amen