Seeking God
Introductory Note:
Trevor Hudson has been part of the Methodist movement in South Africa for over 40 years. He is deeply committed to teaching, preaching, and writing books about spiritual formation. In one excerpt from his book, Seeking God, he writes about the importance of the mind to the discipleship journey. Specifically, he addresses how the images, pictures, and ideas in our minds actually shape our lives.
What we think about - and dwell upon - matters. It’s easy to forget this. Our thoughts can run wild with anxieties and preoccupations, often unconsciously, that distract us from dwelling on Jesus. But there’s good news: Trevor Hudson says that with daily practice, he has come to learn it is possible to learn to “keep the Lord always before you” as Psalm 16:8 says. It requires a willingness to “think about our thinking” and bring Jesus into focus over and over again. He says that we do have the ability to choose how to focus our minds. This excerpt comes from Seeking God.
- Sarah Wood
A book excerpt from Seeking God by Trevor Hudson:
We practice keeping Christ before us by frequently reminding ourselves of the closeness of his risen presence. Whether catching up on Facebook, sitting in the boardroom, in between appointments, typing emails, or working in the garden, we acknowledge God-with-us wherever we are. These repeated affirmations may take the shape of a short prayer inwardly whispered, or remembering a bible verse, or a conscious in-breathing of the Spirit. Many find the thoughtful repetition of the name of Jesus to be helpful in re-establishing themselves more consciously in Christ’s presence.
By keeping ourselves aware of God’s nearness, we are not trying to artificially manufacture any spiritual experience. We are simply turning our minds toward Christ, whose presence fills all things and who is closer to us than we ever dare to imagine.
During the national lockdown in South Africa for Covid-19, we were told to wash our hands with soap repeatedly throughout the day. This moment became sacramental for me. Every time I washed my hands, I would remember my baptism. I would remind myself that I am God’s beloved, loved with a love that knows me by name and will not let me go. Gently, I would turn my anxious mind again in the direction of the Lord and open myself to his Spirit. Washing hands like this twenty or thirty times each day helped me to live with a deeper sense of Christ before me each day.
When we experiment in this regard, we will quickly discover the life-transforming benefits of setting our mind on Christ. These will be different for each one of us. For some it will be a more definite sense of the divine presence in the ordinariness of their daily lives. They discover that Christ becomes an ever-present comfort in the stresses and strains of everyday life. Others become more responsive and attentive to people around them. They begin seeing those around them as God's unique and precious image bearers. Then there will be those who, as they keep Christ before them, engage their mundane tasks with a renewed motivation to honor God in all they do. They have a greater understanding of what displeases God in their daily endeavors.
Seeking Practice: During the next twenty-four hours, experiment with one of these ways of keeping Christ before your mind. Acknowledge his presence with you through the day by recalling a biblical verse, or repeating the name of Jesus, or touching a small cross in your pocket. Purposely intend to journey through this coming day with a deeper consciousness of his presence with and in you.
