Mindfulness

Monday, August 14th, 2023

by Ken Pullen

A CROOKED PATH

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Mindfulness. One of the most used words of our day. Ironically, every tongue I hear utter it, every article I read including it, all reveal the further plummet, the willing and eager descent into the abyss. The pursuit and use of mindfulness as followed by the legions of the blind and foolish only takes them deeper into darkness and the Second Death as they vainly imagine themselves becoming healthy, vital, alive, knowing, and entering into enlightenment.

Mindful of all the wrong things.

Mindful of self over all others, all other matters.

Mindless of reality in the selective selfish pursuit.

Mindless of the truth.

Mindless of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and what is written by God in the Scriptures He has graciously, lovingly given to us to only be neglected, reviled, mocked, altered, perverted, used out of context while rarely being used to truly enlighten and take the path of the only true, sustaining, vital, healthy matters a person ought to be mindful of.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Rather than being mindful of God, of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the life-giving words within the Holy Bible all those pursuing worldly mindfulness adopt, accept, approve, and incorporate Buddhism, and ancient Chinese medicine, which are the foundations and sources of the mindfulness incorporated into their lives. Eastern pagan practices and beliefs.

The present worldly definition and pursuit of mindfulness from Positive Psychology is;

Mindfulness is the practice of gently focusing your awareness on the present moment over and over again.

It often involves focusing on sensations to root yourself in your body in the here and now. It can be practiced during formal meditation or during everyday activities, like cooking, cleaning, or walking.

On the other hand, a full mind means you’re not rooted in the present moment.

It’s the nature of the mind to think, analyze, and figure things out. That’s its job. That means that left to its own devices, the mind will constantly seek out new stimuli, new things to think about, and new ways to check out from reality.

Mindfulness practice is a way to gently retrain the mind to settle into the present moment. It’s kind of like becoming a parent to your mind rather than letting it control you.

In the end, the mind is simply a willful toddler.

By practicing mindfulness over and over with patience and compassion for yourself, you can teach the mind to be still.

Eventually, the mind may even dissolve altogether, meaning that there is no intellectual or conceptual overlay between you and what you’re experiencing.

Instead, you’re fully immersed in and at one with the present moment. This experience is what’s known as true presence.

Mindfulness, or sampajañña in Pali–one of the major languages of the Buddhist scriptures–means clear comprehension. Its definition aligns with its purpose, to help us see more clearly, respond more effectively to what life throws at us, and ultimately make wiser choices.

When used as a verb, for example, “to be mindful,” it points to entering that state, practicing a way of being, a moment-by-moment gentle and nurturing awareness of our emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Deeply ingrained in the idea and meaning of mindfulness is the recognition that we are far from being fixed in who we are—we are ‘neuroplastic.’ This is how neuroscientists refer to our ability to learn, unlearn, and grow.

Having extensively researched and written about mindfulness and how to conceptualize it, Shauna Shapiro says that “mindfulness isn’t just about paying attention. It’s about how we pay attention”

Shapiro describes the three vital psychological elements of mindfulness as follows:

• • Intention – how we use our heart as our compass, directing and reflecting our most profound hopes and values;
  • Attention – training and grounding our mind in the present moment;
  • Attitude – paying attention with an attitude of compassion and curiosity.

Mindfulness can help us escape the vicious cycle of negative thinking, allowing us to “step outside the chattering negative self-talk” and our reactive impulses and emotions (Williams & Penman, 2016, p. 30).

After all, while we cannot stop the triggering of unhappy or upsetting memories, judgmental ways of thinking, and the noise of negative self-talk, we can choose what happens next. Mindfulness offers a pause, a reset, and an alternate way of seeing ourselves and our environment by stepping out of ‘doing’ and into ‘being.’

By its own definitions, it reveals itself the exact opposite of what it claims. Becoming mindless of reality, of events occurring all around and within an individual. In truth, it is nothing more than selfish escapism and creating one’s own world separate from reality. To pursue becoming a god, a god of self not needing or acknowledging the Sovereign God of the Holy Bible, not needing salvation. imagining, foolishly, as all pagans and lost in darkness have throughout history they can pursue and achieve their own perfection, salvation.

Think the world has the solution, the answer to true mindfulness and it leads to life? Do a Google image search after you have finished reading this commentary for the word mindfulness and see what the world understands of mindfulness and of its root, its source, and deluded direction.

The mindfulness adopted and approved, accepted by all its practitioners and prophets of the world is a great snare and delusion. Each person heeding it no different than a fish being attracted to a lure floated near them to bite into which leads to them not being in control of their lives, but in being manipulated and controlled by a greater force than them with nothing but ill intent for them.

This world’s version of mindfulness has permeated and infected the workplace. Corporations and companies have adopted its lies and expect, even demand their employees pursue it. Places of education have adopted and implemented this evil and misdirected path of mindfulness. Even churches have and are adopting the world’s version. It saturates everything. Usually without those being groomed and indoctrinated even aware of what is transpiring.

The lost, the blind, and the deluded refuse to acknowledge this reality, refuse to truly live in the moment, refuse to be mindful of the truth, of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Spirit, and what every person desiring peace, compassion, health, and well-being — eternal spiritual health and well-being — ought to be mindful of while they fill their minds with the lies and utter rubbish of the world, thus the lies and utter rubbish of their true master, not themselves, or what they vainly imagine they are pursuing, but rather being mindful of what the Adversary, the Enemy of the truth, what Satan instills within them keeping them enslaved rather then they seeing the only true path to real freedom — understanding of the how and why of everything this world presents, what is occurring within their mind, their heart, and coming to the understanding and acknowledgment they need more than themselves. They need to repent, they need a Saviour. They need something to give them real peace and awareness of present realities.

The mindfulness as adopted and practiced by the people of the world at its root is to escape reality, escape the truth and awareness of the true state of every moment, and to enter into a straightjacket of selfishness binding up in strong delusion. Escapism.

If ever in front of, or watching someone on television discussing how this form of mindfulness has been such a great help to them pay close attention to their eyes. Their speech. For they all appear as if inebriated, intoxicated, possessed, drugged, and far from a keen awareness of reality.

There is one matter to be ever, always mindful of that leads to peace, understanding, being truly alive in the moment, and the practice of living in reality, and that is to be ever and always mindful of the ways and words of God. Of Who and what the Lord Jesus Christ really is and has done. That the Holy Bible is not just some old book, some old irrelevant to the time’s guidebook or history book.

Mindfulness, true mindfulness is being always aware of the present moment, of reality — of the reality that God is with us, of what God has done and does for us.

Is our mindfulness of God, of Christ, of what is contained within the Holy Bible?

Or is our mindfulness centered within self, of all the stimuli and events within our minds and around us as revealed by the world and we thus build our foundation, our lives on those delusions, those lies, and changing ways?

TRUE mindfulness as found within the inerrant infallible Word of God;

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 

Isaiah 43:18-19

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world

1 John 2:15-16

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2

True mindfulness is to set our minds on God, on the Lord Jesus Christ, on the Holy Spirit, and on the whole Word of God. That is the only path to true peace, compassion, understanding, insight, awareness, seeing, and knowing reality. The only true, lasting path to enlightenment for all the world can offer is rebranded lies and delusion. Emptiness in its every lie and distraction, pursuit away from God and the truth as the world, thus Satan, in his great skill and beguiling manner, gives the appearance of light, of enlightenment and self-gratification and peace which only leads to greater darkness, delusion, and the Second Death.

Be ever, always, only mindful of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Spirit, and every word within the Word if desiring to live clearly in the present understanding the past, and aware of the future.

Mindfulness of self leads only to further delusion and the opposite of health and well-being.

Whereas the mindfulness of God, of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, of our sin and need of a Saviour outside of self, outside of all the options the world declares are the way to peace and enlightenment, of the need to believe, repent, ask for forgiveness and humble oneself before the Lord, faithfully, obediently is the mindfulness that leads to clarity, awareness of every present moment leading to eternal life rather than the cold, dark dead void the world offers as light, truth and awareness.

Do not be deceived.

Do not let others be deceived.

Be ever and always mindful of God, of the whole truth contained within the inerrant infallible living Word of God, of the need for forgiveness of sin and of a Saviour. And that is not found in self or anywhere or anyone of this world past, present, or future save for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a mind full of the goodness, righteousness, truth, the free gift of grace, the Supreme Sacrifice of God for our salvation, of His mercy and love for us rather than a mind full of self, full of the dung of this world that only pollutes and infects and causes disease of the mind, the spirit, and the soul.