I’ve just come back from a trip to Turkey, and it's kick-started a bit of a revival in my own heart in a way. Physically visiting and connecting with the ancient paths of my faith reminded me of my desire to be connected to God and people. It got me thinking how often my mindset leads me to be disconnected and disengaged. Like so many, I can go through my days and life like a sleep-walker, not fully awake to the God-possibilities and people all around me.
5 ways to guard against slipping into slumber...
Out of this process of renewal, I’ve discovered 5 of the things that can change this stale mindset around. Here they are below, and I’m reminding myself of it as part of my own personal heart and mindset revival.
1. Recognise where you move into autopilot
An awake and positive attitude (with a little grit) determines a life of impact, life, and fruitfulness. One of the ways to guard your heart against slipping into autopilot, or a sleeping state of existence is to recognise the areas in your life where you switch off and where there is no joy or passion. Find practical ways to create some enjoyment and hope.
- Is it in your everyday mundane routine? How could you become more intentional so that there’s a little more energy and joy in the ordinary? This might look like reprioritising.
- How about your spiritual life? I’m a firm believer that God isn’t some boring, stuffy old caretaker or impersonal ‘life force’. He’s a God of life, vibrancy, and power. His grace perfectly empowers me to be brave, bold, and fully awake in everyday life (Psalm 16:11).
2. Be watchful over your mindset
Joyce Meyer often exhorts people to think about what they are thinking about. You don’t need to just think about whatever falls into your mind at any given time. In other words – don’t believe everything you think! Negative self talk, irrational fears, bitterness and insecurities can quickly cause us to spiral down along with them.
Be watchful over your thought patterns and take captive the thoughts that aren’t life-giving, true or loving. Personally, I find that reading the Bible daily is a great way to realign my mind with ultimate, transformative truth.
3. Prioritise what is important for this season
We live in a world saturated with information and obsessed with accumulation. But more and more knowledge and things won't give us the fulfilment they promise. The important key here is to remember that in a world of infinte possibilities, your time and resources are very precious and finite. Prioritising what is important at work and at home in every season is pivotal. Otherwise, we’ll quickly feel overwhelmed and ready to slumber!
Ask yourself what matters most for this season, and then stick to the important things. There’s nothing wrong with pushing pause on what can wait and drawing your intentional focus to what counts.
4. Be purpose-driven: one thing at a time
Being purpose-driven in life or business is not necessarily moving at a fast pace or becoming super busy. Busyness can be a distraction from real, daily purpose. Becoming a purpose-driven person means continually coming back to what it’s all about: why you do what you do. Take care to do what only you can do!
5. Align your thoughts, words, and deeds
In Revelation 3, it’s written to the angel of the church in Sardis, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” The next verse says, “Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”
There’s something very sobering about these words. To me, they speak of a lack of integrity. When one’s thoughts, words and actions aren’t integrated, we lack integrity. I’m certain most of us don’t intend on not following through, we just ‘fall asleep’ along the way! In contrast to Sardis however, let’s finish what we started — mindful and awake to the fact that above all, we live and die before an audience of One.