So how do we do this? It takes practice. But the goal is to have our mind come to rest in the Lord, not in all of the other noise that occupies our thinking. Once we start paying attention to all of the things going on in our thoughts, we'll become aware of how little time we spend "keeping the Lord always before us." So the goal is to have our thoughts return to the Lord.
At the Springs, we have the time to quiet the inner noise. Sometimes it takes 24 hours of solitude before we can be fully present to the Lord. I've found some ways that help me to quiet the inner noise - things as simple as keeping a list so that my mind doesn't have to be continually reminding of things I don't want to forget.
Along with quieting the inner noise, we need to fill our minds with Jesus. We open ourselves to Him and direct our thinking toward Him. This is our goal. We can develop the habit of keeping the words of the Gospels in our minds by reading them carefully day by day, and re-reading them. We can memorize them. I find that when I am actively working on memorizing a passage, then I can recall it to mind throughout the day.
Keeping the Lord before us is a choice, a habit, a skill that we can practice and become better at. If we stick with it, keeping our mind focused on the Lord and at peace in Him, will become the default. Our minds will return to Him naturally, as a matter of habit.
Don't get discouraged. Take baby steps and you will find that keeping the Lord before you becomes such a gift.
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1 comment:
This is great info to know.
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