Transforming Lives Through Constant Awareness of God
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Frank Laubach was a Presbyterian missionary in the Philippines back in the 30s and it said that he has an interesting story of how he got there, but he wound up out in an area of the Philippines where there's a tribe called the Morris tribe. They're a very strong Islamic tribe, and Frank was out there alone. [00:00:33]
Frank Laubach began to think the question, how would it be if I were able to submit myself to God moment by moment, if I were able to turn my mind to God? Frank Laubach was actually a well-educated man, and he realized that things don't disappear from your mind immediately; they stay there for a while. [00:01:11]
He decided that he would try to turn his mind back to God in some way every once a minute. Maybe it would just be the singing of a hymn or looking at a symbol of the Cross, or maybe he would just murmur to himself, "Hallowed be thy name," or something of that sort. [00:01:47]
Frank Laubach chose to do this, and so what he did was he started out just sort of keeping a little awareness of how his mind would turn to God, and then he continued with his business. You know you can think of many things at the same time, and so you can turn your mind to God. [00:02:36]
When he had practiced this experiment for a while, it really began to transform his life. Here's what he said after four weeks: "I feel simply carried along each hour doing my part in a plan which is far beyond myself. This sense of cooperation with God in little things is what so astonishes me." [00:03:54]
The choice here is what do I really want to accomplish in my life with God? What do I really want to accomplish? Would I like to have constantly the sense of walking with the great Lord who is my shepherd? He will not force his presence on you. Sometimes that happens, but you cannot count on it. [00:04:29]
The will can only work in terms of the mind. You make your choices in terms of your thoughts and your feelings, so what you choose will be determined by what you think. Interestingly enough, what we've seen here tonight is what you think may be determined by what you choose. [00:08:22]
The Psalm 1 type of person, you remember, was a man who delighted in the law of God and he just stayed with meditation on it day and night. He didn't stand in the counsel of the ungodly; he avoided the path of sinners; he did not sit in the seat of the scoffer. [00:15:40]
What would I be like if my mind was just full of the law of God and delight in the law of God, if it were just full of images of Christ, if I was constantly looking for him to be present in my life? What would my life be like? Well, I can tell you it would be wonderful. [00:19:34]
We have to will and to pray. You know, sometimes you're not willing, but you're willing to be willing. Do you know that? And that's a really honest, good place to work with God. I'm not willing to, let us say, return good for evil. Maybe someone has really done something very mean to me. [00:24:30]
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you. Now that's going to put tension on your mind. Last Wednesday, after exhorting you on Tuesday, as I went from my office to my car on the USC campus, I realized I had lost my keys. [00:27:41]
The path forward towards the healing of the heart means the renovation of the mind, and that means that the images and thoughts, the teachings of the scripture about God in your world now come in and occupy your mind, and that lays a foundation for your will to act differently. [00:30:08]
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Frank Laubach began to think the question, how would it be if I were able to submit myself to God moment by moment, if I were able to turn my mind to God? Frank Laubach was actually a well-educated man, and he realized that things don't disappear from your mind immediately; they stay there for a while. [00:01:11]
He decided that he would try to turn his mind back to God in some way every once a minute. Maybe it would just be the singing of a hymn or looking at a symbol of the Cross, or maybe he would just murmur to himself, "Hallowed be thy name," or something of that sort. [00:01:47]
Frank Laubach chose to do this, and so what he did was he started out just sort of keeping a little awareness of how his mind would turn to God, and then he continued with his business. You know you can think of many things at the same time, and so you can turn your mind to God. [00:02:36]
When he had practiced this experiment for a while, it really began to transform his life. Here's what he said after four weeks: "I feel simply carried along each hour doing my part in a plan which is far beyond myself. This sense of cooperation with God in little things is what so astonishes me." [00:03:54]
The choice here is what do I really want to accomplish in my life with God? What do I really want to accomplish? Would I like to have constantly the sense of walking with the great Lord who is my shepherd? He will not force his presence on you. Sometimes that happens, but you cannot count on it. [00:04:29]
The will can only work in terms of the mind. You make your choices in terms of your thoughts and your feelings, so what you choose will be determined by what you think. Interestingly enough, what we've seen here tonight is what you think may be determined by what you choose. [00:08:22]
The Psalm 1 type of person, you remember, was a man who delighted in the law of God and he just stayed with meditation on it day and night. He didn't stand in the counsel of the ungodly; he avoided the path of sinners; he did not sit in the seat of the scoffer. [00:15:40]
What would I be like if my mind was just full of the law of God and delight in the law of God, if it were just full of images of Christ, if I was constantly looking for him to be present in my life? What would my life be like? Well, I can tell you it would be wonderful. [00:19:34]
We have to will and to pray. You know, sometimes you're not willing, but you're willing to be willing. Do you know that? And that's a really honest, good place to work with God. I'm not willing to, let us say, return good for evil. Maybe someone has really done something very mean to me. [00:24:30]
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you. Now that's going to put tension on your mind. Last Wednesday, after exhorting you on Tuesday, as I went from my office to my car on the USC campus, I realized I had lost my keys. [00:27:41]
The path forward towards the healing of the heart means the renovation of the mind, and that means that the images and thoughts, the teachings of the scripture about God in your world now come in and occupy your mind, and that lays a foundation for your will to act differently. [00:30:08]
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