- What is the first thing I do when I wake up?
- What are the first thoughts on my mind?
- Who puts them there?
Psalm 17 v 15
I shall be fully satisfied when I awake, to find myself beholding you
and enjoying sweet communion in your presence
I don’t know about you but, my day is full of moments when I have to make a choice – what do I wear? What route do I take to the office? Which email do I answer first? Which supplier do I go with? What do I have for lunch?
There are other more poignant choices we make that don’t just determine what we do but often determine how we feel: What thoughts do I allow to stay in my mind? What do I choose to believe about myself? How do I respond to situations going on around me and in the world?
One of the most important choices I make each day is at the moment I wake up – what is the first thing I choose to do?
Until recently, I have never been a very disciplined person, and this has certainly been the case when it came to “mornings”. Years of jumping out of bed into the shower, into my work clothes, into the car and off to work, set a very unhealthy life rhythm, a rhythm which I ‘just did’ because that is what I had always done. I’d tried many times over the years to get up a bit earlier than I needed to in order to have what many call, a quiet time, “read your bible pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow says the old song” – I failed miserably. Instead, I read my bible ad-hoc, talked to God a lot during the day whilst doing other things and sometimes prayed more intentionally – sound familiar?
With hurry we always lose more
than we gain “
(John Mark Comer )
When I did have a bit more time before rushing out of bed, I would invariably wake up, grab my phone and scroll through sports apps, social media, messages and emails – stupid!
The result: outside forces took control of my day from the outset and I gave them permission to do so by choosing to partner with them. Eventually this life rhythm took its toll.
What are the First Thoughts on my Mind and Who Puts Them There?
At no point in my life had I been aware of any potential vulnerabilities in my mental health but out of nowhere, I realised I was having regular moments of feeling blue and a bit downcast. This began to escalate and for several months it was like I had a cloud over me – it wasn’t that I felt depressed, but I didn’t feel joy in things that I used to; I felt restless and had very little peace; I continually felt a pressure on my chest, and I had regular stomach issues. Something wasn’t right, this wasn’t me, I had no idea what was going on and the more I thought about how I was feeling and tried to analyse what was going on, the more anxious I became. The irony was that I didn’t think I had anything to be anxious about – life was good.
Why am I sharing this with you and what does it have to do with the first choice I make when I wake up?
Well, I began to notice a trend and Holy Spirit gave me revelation of part of the problem as well as a solution – He usually does this, His job is to comfort, council and lead us into all truth – I noticed that as soon as I began to wake in the morning there were a few minutes when I knew peace, when the tension on my chest was not there and when my spirit felt light. That would change very quickly though as I woke up and my mind started to engage with the day, the anxious feelings would very quickly re-appear.
“grab your iPad not your phone”
yes, this is what Holy Spirit said to me, “grab your iPad and start to read the Bible In One Year*. Every morning, make it the first thing you do when you wake up. Just do it, don’t worry about whether you are taking anything in, don’t worry if your mind wanders, don’t worry about how you feel, just do it!”
So, I did just that, as soon as I awoke, I grabbed my iPad and read the BIOY* app. The transformation began, slowly but surely. This was just the first step and I continue telling more of the story in my other posts, but it was a big step. I was activating 4 Key Principles in my life that help me take control of my day:
- Break the habit of reaching for my phone when I wake up – although an iPad is still a device, there was a specific reason for me to pick it up, reading truth. (This would very quickly transition to me reading a physical copy of the Bible).
- Fill my mind with positive & helpful thoughts from the start – the enemy’s tactic is to put unhelpful and destructive thoughts in my mind as soon as I awaken, intentionally counteract this.
- Position myself for Holy Spirit to minister to me – I want to engage with the Holy Spirit the minute I wake up and receive all that God has for me. I want only Him to determine my mood.
- Dwell in God’s presence – I love the word dwell, this is where I want to live, in God’s presence all day in every circumstance.
As a result, I was well on the road to breaking a stronghold and pattern that had been established over many years. Resetting to a more healthy and sustainable rhythm that would affect all areas of my mind, body and spirit.
In part 3, I will share how writing down and speaking out truth about myself set the atmosphere for the day ahead. I will also take you on my journey to “move my body” everyday to help improve my mind, body and spirit health.
*Bible in One Year (BIOY) is a ministry of Alpha International, written by Nicky & Pippa Gumbel
