Being fully present is sometimes just really hard. I mean, who really wants to pay attention to four kids who are screaming, giggling, laughing, singing and making noise so loud, that you can’t even think? Who really wants to be fully present in a very hard marriage when you’d rather just hide inside yourself? Who really wants to be fully present at a job that you dread going to every day?
Being fully present is really denying ourselves.
Being fully present is knowing where were supposed to be right that moment and being there. It’s knowing whether you’re supposed to be off your phone paying attention to your kids OR on your phone, replying, and praying for somebody who just said they’re struggling.
Being fully present is watching the people around you and noticing when they are down. It’s noticing when they have needs. It’s being aware of what’s going on around you.
Just like Ruth in one of the verses we read earlier this week; she was aware of Naomi’s situation and she gave her life in order to help.
Being fully present is living today. Not looking back with regret for yesterday; not looking ahead with worry for tomorrow. It’s giving our life for what The Holy Spirit wants us to do this very moment.
It is a giving our life over and over.
This living in the present thing, this giving up our life thing, this changing to be who God wants us to be thing; IT’S HARD.
I’m a gal who thrives on being alone…let me just say homeschooling for girls doesn’t really afford that being alone privilege very often. lol
I’m a girl who grew up with brothers not emotional sisters; so emotions that come with girls are a tad foreign to me. Just a tad uncomfortable; let’s just say living with four girls and myself I’ve had to deal with a lot of emotions. lol
I tend to be quiet, scared of what people think of me and very afraid to step out of the box
God had other plans.
In Mark, Jesus said:
Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8: 34-36
I don’t think He always meant ‘die for Him’ in a physical sense; rather, I think He meant die to the life we once knew. Give up the life we wished for. Give up the life we THOUGHT we would have. Give up the things that used to make us who we are.
Home school when you just want to be all alone. Deal with emotions when they scare you. Step out of the box when the Holy Spirit tells you to do something out of the box. Be a changed, new creation.
Another aspect of being present is that were not inside our mind. Not lost in a day dream. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can get so into my mind; either worrying or trying to work thru some mental struggle. Rather than doing life.
OR comparing with somebody else. ouch. Comparing ourselves with someone else certainly takes us away from being present in the moment. It takes us away from being fully attentive with the people we are with.
Another big one for me right now is avoiding a project that the Holy Spirit asked me to do. I’m finding all kinds of other things to do so that I can avoid the big job.
Whatever it looks like in your life…
I can about guarantee you that satan is there, trying anything to get you to stop being fully present with your people. I can about guarantee satan is there trying to get you to keep some part of your self. He’s trying to get you to not fully give up your life. Or not fully be paying attention to the needs around you. Or not fully be the person you are supposed to be.
He wants our marriages ruined. He wants our children to forget we love them. He wants our friends to feel all alone. He wants us to compare ourselves with each other. He does not rest. He does not stop. He is out to ruin us. He hates this being present thing. He certainly hates the thought of us giving up our lives and denying ourselves.
Let’s make that ole devil mad today! Let’s be present and give ourselves to God.
Want to read more of the “Simply Being Series”? You can find the other posts here.
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