Lent 2024 | Week 4: MIND

Every week on Sunday we will be posting a new set of reflection questions based on themes and areas of our lives that are important to look at on a deeper level. We hope this is a chance to take some time to look inward, to process, to ask intentional questions about your life and bring those reflections to God, asking him to show us what is going well and what might need to change.

The fourth area of life we are going to reflect on is our mind.

Why Our Mind: The things we think about and give our attention to matter.  For most of us, the majority of our thoughts will be about what we do for work, the thing we do to make a living.  Outside of that, though, how do we engage our mind?  God has made our minds a powerful thing – we have incredible imaginations and power to understand so much, therefore it is good to reflect on what we think about and how we choose to engage our mind with the world around us.

Reflection: Here are some reflection questions to help you work through this topic.  Feel free to answer all of them or just some, and if you’re not sure of the answer, try journaling about why you’re not sure of it…it may just help you figure it out!  If you’re an extrovert or a verbal processor, try going through these questions with a friend!

• What do I spend the most time thinking about throughout my days, besides my occupation?  How do I feel about this?
• What have I become an expert on?  What does my mind understand really well?
• Is there anything I avoid thinking about too much because I don’t understand it or it overwhelms or confuses me?
• Beyond my occupation or what I do for work, what do I like to do that engages my mind? How often do I get to do this thing/these things?
• What is my favorite thing to make? It doesn’t have to be a physical product like art, food, or crafts…it could be written like essays or poetry, or a tool like spreadsheets or event plans.  What do you like to produce that’s helpful, good, or beautiful to you?
• How do I think my mind and work fit into the “good life” God wants for me?

Pray with me:  Creator God, you have made us in your image as creative beings with powerful minds.  Help me use my mind and hone it.  Help me engage with the passions and interests you have given me.  Help me think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).  Amen.

Bonus: If you make it through the thematic list of journaling prompts this week and would like some more general ones to guide you, try some of these:

• Am I noticing any changes in myself or my spiritual life as I journey through Lent?
• What has been heavy on my heart or mind today?
• How do I feel today? What am I worried about or excited for?
• How do I need God to show up for me today? Is there anything I need to ask him for?
• How have I seen God show up for me in the past?  What has he already done or been doing in my life?
• What am I grateful for today?