“I am not really alone, because the Father is with me.” John 16:32 (GNT)
Have you ever been in that place?
Being mindful of Christ Jesus’s presence can be difficult when our mind takes us in the direction of our pain. Feeling alone and distant from God after his daughter came out as transgender to him, Patrick reached out to me. He felt numb and couldn’t understand how his precious little girl had grown up into an adult who desired to be a man. Instead of being mindful of God’s presence, his mind went to all the should-haves and could-haves. Patrick confessed that he had asked, “Why would you allow this to happen, God? Are you really there?”
Have you ever been in that place?
Having complete confidence that God is with us may not relieve our current pain or bring immediate answers to our prayers or erase the reality we face, but running into the arms of Jesus will help us focus on his caring heart.
Having the mind of Christ means always being aware that Jesus is with us. We see this in the life of Jesus. Jesus lived in the presence of God and stayed connected to the favor of God. No matter what, he stayed in tune with his Father. Jesus said, “I am not really alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16:32 GNT).
At times, our pain may be so intense that we aren’t aware of God’s presence or his constant care. But when we have the mind of Christ, we’re better able to sense his attentiveness.
How can we stay aware of God’s constant care? One way is through prayer. Jesus made prayer a daily habit: “Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray” (Luke 5:16 CEV).
Learning to pray like Jesus means doing so laboriously for our own sake and for those we hold so dear to our heart. Staying mindful of Jesus’s presence and staying connected to the Father requires a daily and continual commitment. Start with this prayer:
Heavenly Father, it’s easy to be more mindful of what’s happening to me and focus on my shattered heart. I need your help to turn away from focusing on myself and focus instead on being mindful of you and your love. Bring me into alignment with your heart desire to hear from me, speak to me, and walk alongside me every hour. Open my heart so I can sense your constant presence and care. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.