Mindfulness has been integrated into western society over the past twenty or so years.
It was introduced into western psychology, from the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, as a therapeutic method of helping people with depression, stress and anxiety.
It is now a well-accepted technique for stress reduction in today’s secular world. It is being adopted within schools, prisons, hospitals and other environments to help with mental health issues.
But, and here is the thing, the Bible has consistently advised us to be mindful—to live in the moment, in the day—in both the Old and New Testaments.
Solomon, the wisest man in the world, wrote in Ecclesiastes (an Old Testament book of wisdom)
‘What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.’
Since the beginning of time, mindfulness has been significant – it is not a recent discovery.
Jesus himself taught people to live in the moment in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:25-34
We can all practise Christian Mindfulness; it isn’t complicated. It can help us to focus on the moment in God’s presence.
This can help us stop our minds from overthinking, particularly during difficult times, because we can allow God’s love to calm and engulf us as we do this.
Why not start a regular practice of being mindful and experience this for yourself?
A Christian Mindfulness Exercise
Take deep breaths for a few minutes, breath in and out down into the tummy—notice the abdomen rising and falling with each breath.
You might like to repeat words from Psalm 118 written below as you do this.
As you continue the deep breathing, allow yourself to be mindful of the sights, sounds and scents of God’s creation that surround you.
Then hand over to God your inner thoughts and anxieties as they arise.
Consider how these small moments, in this ordinary day, are a gift from God and be thankful for them.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24
