1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)
Not man's manifold labors, but his manifold cares, hinder the presence of
God. Whatsoever thou doest, hush thyself to thine own feverish vanities,
and busy thoughts, and cares; in silence seek thy Father's face, and the
light of His countenance will stream down upon thee. He will make a secret
cell in thine heart, and when thou enterest there, there shalt thou find
Him. And if thou hast found Him there, all around shall reflect Him, all
shall speak to Him, and He will speak through all. Outwardly thou mayest be
doing the work of thy calling; inwardly if thou commend thy work to God,
thou mayest be with Him in the third Heaven.
E.B. PUSEY
I had to read the above excerpt several times to fully grasp its significance. As I pondered and prayed about today's verse and Mr. Pusey's passage, it dawned on me. My very prayers and meditations about the paragraph were interrupted by my "manifold cares" which did indeed "hinder the presence of God". An immediate and personal object lesson!Even in silence as I was "seeking (my) Father's face", my thoughts, worries, and wandering mind thwarted my drawing near to Him. If my mind can be so easily drawn away from Him at our designated meeting time, how much more challenging to focus on Him during throughout the day.
The discipline of my mind has proven to be the biggest obstacle in my spiritual growth. Outwardly, He has given me the strength to curb, eliminate, or at least mask many of the actions and reactions that are unpleasing to Him. But a disciplined mind--there's the rub. I welcome any thoughts, tricks, or suggestions on how to discipline one's mind, especially during prayer and meditation.
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