A Key to Full Possession
“Be sure that you have made no small progress in the spiritual life, when you can control your imagination, so as to fix it on the duty and occupation actually existing, to the exclusion of the crowd of thoughts which are perpetually sweeping across the mind. No doubt, you cannot prevent those thoughts from arising, but you can prevent yourself from dwelling on them; you can put them aside, you can check the self-complacency, or irritation, or earthly longings which feed them, and by the practice of such control of your thoughts you will attain that spirit of inward silence which draws the soul into a close intercourse with God. JEAN N. GROU.
The Zone
There is an expression generally used in sports that has an aura of mysticism around it. It’s almost impossible to define it, in spite of it being so real and magical. It feels like perfection incarnated. The closest definition to express what it means might be this one: “The “zone” is a state of supreme focus that helps athletes in all sports perform at their peak potential. It is when your mind fully connects with achieving a goal, such as getting a hit, or stealing a base. Attention is absorbed into the present (the here and now only). When you’re in the zone your mind only processes the thoughts and images that help you execute your task successfully.
Entering the zone requires total commitment to your game plan and the process of winning. Many athletes have mental barriers that limit their ability to enter the zone, such as fear of failure, doubts, lack of trust, and over thinking. Mentally tough athletes are at an advantage because they have the ability to tap into the zone more consistently in competition. When they are in the zone, fear of failure, worry, doubt, indecision, and other mental traps are forbidden from entering their focus. In this state of concentration, mental distractions struggle to compete for your attention but lose the battle. Athletes talk so much about performing in the zone and how awesome it feels. Many athletes view the zone as this magical, hard-to-obtain state of mind.” – Mike Edger
Now imagine witnessing to a sheep: you are supremely focused on them, your mind fully connects to winning that person to Christ, attention is completely absorbed into the present (the here and now only). It’s like time has ceased to exist. It requires total commitment, and while witnessing, the fear of failure, worry, doubt, indecision or other mental traps are blocked because you become such a conduit of the Lord’s Spirit that nothing else is allowed to enter in. Then comes the amazing feeling of unearthly joy while receiving the divine inspiration with all the right verses and answers culminating with the almost tangible happiness of the heavenly angels rejoicing over a saved soul. (Luke 15:10)
Having this parallel drawn between the two “in the zone” states: sports and spiritual, I feel that for the first time that I received a “handle” with which to “grasp” full possession, putting on the Lord’s mind, rising above and asking Him everything concepts. The goal of all these “aides” are to bring you into His Zone.
“Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:21
That “make you perfect” now for me means “bringing you into HIs Zone”! 🙂
And back to sports, even Paul makes a parallel between our earthly pilgrimage and running a race or fighting a good fight. “ Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Cor. 9:24-27
Submitted by Sam