Putting Our Minds On God

With everything competing for our attention daily, can we fix our minds on the Lord? This question is fundamental to our spiritual journey as we plan to progress in our walk with God. We are not oblivious to the fact that the world around us is filled with misery and darkness, and frequently, the default state of humanity is one of toil and struggle. Why is this the case, you might ask? In Genesis 3:17-19, “And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Adam was banished from Eden, so he moved from a position of dominion to a life sentenced to toils and labour. However, this does not have to be our perpetual and permanent reality as believers because after the birth of Enos, people began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26), and that led to a new reality, resulting in stories like that of Noah, who walked with God and was not distracted by the circumstance around him (Genesis 6:8). Mathew 24:37-39: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Here are some perspectives to explore as we fix our minds on God. First, the default state of the world is one of darkness. It is filled with worries, anxieties, and struggles. People live life from childhood to adulthood through different cycles of struggles, waiting for a breakthrough that may never come. The devil further increases the chaos by bringing different trials, sicknesses, conflicts, and temptations to distract our minds and divert our focus from Christ, all in a bid to make meaning of life. Once we recognise these distractions, we can see through the devil's strategies and focus our minds on the Lord.

How Can We Focus Our Minds on the Lord?

1. He is removing the obstacles. We should know that our words can remove the mountains hindering our focus. Jesus told us that faith can move mountains. Mark 11:23: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Also, when Jesus went to raise Lazarus from the dead, he told them to take the stones away. What are those obstacles that preoccupy your mind? You have to move those mountains away consciously. These mountains represent challenges, barriers, limitations, fears, and weaknesses. Speak to those challenges with faith and prayer, and God's word will manifest.
2. Intercession and Petition. We are all called to the ministry of intercession. When faced with personal struggles and emotional burdens, we ought to engage in that ministry of intercession and petition, calling upon God, pleading for his mercies, and seeking his guidance. This practice helps us to align our will with God and opens the door for his intervention. Intercessory prayers involve standing on the gap for not just us but for others.
3. It is surrendering the overwhelming situations to God. Many times, situations can overwhelm us, and even when we intercede, it looks as though we are not making any victory. The Bible calls us to surrender to these things. It says, learn of me; cast all your cares upon me. One way to do that is by Thanksgiving. It seems counter-intuitive, but giving thanks to God for the big situations turns those things over to God. Thanksgiving helps us to focus on God, remember his faithfulness, and remember his ability. It puts our eyes away from the challenges and puts them in the place of God. Remember, sing when your trials are greatest, trust the Lord, and take heart. Philippians 4:6,7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
4. Spiritual warfare. Beyond intercession and petition, there are points where we have to fight. The Bible tells us we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Sometimes, things have to be pulled down and brought into obedience. We have to cast down every imagination to the image of Christ. The devil is a rebellious spirit and does not heed advice or suggestions. Instead, we have to command and insist on the word of God in the place of spiritual warfare. In our fight, we should remember that we are fighting from a place of victory because we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. When we are fighting, fight from that position.

After the victory, the next step is to be still and hear God's voice in His presence. Stillness is crucial to tuning our minds to the frequency of God's thoughts. Moses spent 40 days on the mountain, waiting for God.

Finally, how do we practice the steps for stillness?

1. Create that time for stillness. Set a fixed time, let's say five minutes or two hours
2. Make that time consistent. If it's 30 minutes, make it consistent every day.
3. At those times, remove distractions. Make people aware that you have a divine appointment and won’t entertain distractions.
4. In those periods, meditate and reflect. Meditation involves uttering the word of God. There should be a period when you chant, proclaim, and speak the word.
5. Finally, reflection. Reflection is casting your mind back on significant things.

It might not be easy to start, but creating this habit makes our hearts grow, blossom, and become who God wants us to be. In conclusion, by maintaining this habit of putting our minds on God and incorporating these steps into our daily routine, starting with short focus prayers, meditation, increasing as we become comfortable, engaging in worship and thanksgiving, making time for reflection and stillness, we're able to build a foundation and maintain our focus amidst life's challenges. Fix your mind upon God. Remove the obstacles. Maintaining victory and achieving stillness will further deepen our relationship with Him. My prayer for you is that we constantly seek God, find peace in His presence, and experience the fullness of His blessings. Amen.

ACTION STEPS

1. Decide today that you're going to be still.
2. What steps do you want to start with? List them down.
3. What distractions do you want to remove? Itemize them. Start with a few minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes, and increase as you go. Let this be a routine for you. God bless you, and have a wonderful, productive life, living to the fullness of Christ in which we're alive (Amen).