How do I make God become my everything?

@Keli recently posed this question to me. It's a terrific one and it merits a full response. I wish I could provide one! To do so would require a conversation that will stretch into eternity, but I will do my best to start that dialogue here briefly.

Everything we do in life begins as a thought. We are motivated to act or to feel a certain way because of a thing we think. These thoughts are happening all the time, sometimes moving rapid-fire through our minds, sometimes coming more slowly. But our thoughts are always there, driving us, and what we choose to think will determine in large part the course of our lives.

Thus, it is very important that we think rightly and think true thoughts. If we allow our lives to become warped by internalizing lies in our thinking, we will suffer greatly for it. If, instead, we keep our focus on Truth, we will find that we can indeed be "reasonably happy in this life," as the Serenity Prayer states.

So, let's cut to the chase: Christ is Truth personified. If we want our thinking to be filled with true thoughts, we can do no better than to give Christ our full attention. This means training ourselves to bring our minds back to him again and again throughout the day, in every moment. Each time we become aware that we are thinking, we consciously choose to submit those thoughts to Christ and turn our attention to him. Over time, we will be more aware of our thinking (and do so more often), and so our thoughts will be turned toward Christ more and more. (Some call this "mindfulness," and I do not think that is a bad label for it.)

This takes work. It is a discipline. When we first start, we will realize very quickly what a chaotic place our minds are and just how often we think things of questionable veracity without any critical analysis at all. We simply allow these random thoughts to drive us without question. This is a poor way to go through life! In Christ, we can do better. In fact, in him, we MUST do better. The fullness of the life he has for us begins with an exchange of the lies we have internalized for his truth. We trade in our thoughts so that we might instead think his far better ones. We trade in our view of ourselves for his far better (and more accurate!) one. We embrace his identity for us and his view of the world.

There is a daily dying to self required by this "Great Exchange." We must submit to his way instead of our own. We must lay down our ideas willingly. He very seldom forces his thoughts on us. Rather, his voice is all around us, speaking all the time, but it is a quiet one that we must listen for closely. It is easily drowned out by worry and fear and all the care and concerns of life. We have to become willing to let all of that go, laying everything aside in preference for him.

I will link to the FREEdom process, as I have so often. It is not original to me, but it is a terrific restatement of the biblical teaching on how this exchange works in our lives. I fully recommend reading through the full book referenced at the link. Study the Scriptures closely for yourself, and find the freedom that they point us toward in Christ.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zqVL11JjWICOHCRUDmqXr9TNC_gpb6yhRF1hKp-fxcc/edit

Saint Patrick's famous poem captures very well this Christ-focused view that we can train our hearts in and that can become our new "normal":

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.

There is real work and real struggle involved in attaining this. The effort is worth it. Onward, then, toward Christ and Christ-likeness!

 

Let me know if I can help with the translation. I am not very good at Spanish, but my Google skills are excellent!

 

Here is how I gauge it: Where does my mind automatically go when it is not occupied with any other thing? Does it come to rest in Christ and his truth, or does it alight somewhere else? If the natural default state of my mind is Christ, then we are his. If our mind wants to find rest somewhere else, then we are still roaming at least some distance from our true home.

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

As for whether we attain this gradually or all at once, I think it is likely different for each person. God was very creative with how he saved me; I am sure he is just as imaginative with others.

 

What your mind was pursuing was a fantasy and a lie. When it grows restless and discontent, that is a signal that your thoughts need to be run through the Spirit's truth filter. You will not fall to temptation when you are content with your life; you will not be swayed by false promises when you are fully satisfied by Christ's goodness.

Get forgiveness and get back on track. There will never be anything good for you in sentimentality and idle chatter. Christ made you for far greater things!

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

 

His love alone will satisfy without fail. All other loves will disappoint us sooner or later. Only God is God!

(I have pinned the post for the time being. It can remain pinned as long as it is a help to others. Thanks for the positive feedback, @Kemar935 !)

 

Welcome!