How To Use Your Imagination Effectively
Learning to trust in God
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3
What are you trusting in?
Imagination is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. Consider the ability to foresee the future. I find it amazing that I have the capacity to look ahead and envision what might be coming my way.
Unfortunately, imagination can also be a source of anxiety. When our minds fixate anxiously on the uncertain future or regretfully on the past, we lose access to the perfect peace always available in the present moment. The secret to overcoming these problematic issues is stated in the verse above from Isaiah. When I train my mind, which includes memories and imagination, on a loving Higher Power and place my trust in him, I find that peace is the result.
This is easier said than done. It does take practice and experience to recognize how God is at work. Let's look at some examples of how this can come to pass in our lives.
I begin my day practicing resting in God. Contemplation is the practice that I use and the process is one of sitting quietly in the presence of God and allowing my restless thoughts to drift by, one by one. I do not hold on to any of the thoughts, even thoughts that I consider "good" or "positive". The goal in contemplation is to "stay my imagination on God" who by definition is unknowable. When my restless mind is still, then this empty vessel is available to be filled with the presence of God.
See this exercise as an opportunity to learn how to use the gift of imagination rightly. Once I am still and allowing God to fill me with his presence, I find that in the core of my being reside desires. I believe that God has given all of life the will to be useful in creation. I have my role to play as do you and all other life forms. The task is to understand this role, and trust in the ability to live it out.
As I have stated before, my overriding life goal has been to help people solve problems. This thought inspires me every day and fills my life with great joy. I have discovered that there are innumerable ways to do this, from meeting one-on-one with clients, planting a garden, becoming part of a sharing group or any number of other activities. Simply sitting quietly and allowing positive thoughts to beam from my mind into the universe is adding to the positivity of our world.
How are you using your imagination? Are you worrying about the future, concerned about events that may happen? Perhaps you are dealing with health concerns, or financial difficulties. Would you be willing to practice letting these concerns rest in the presence of your Higher Power? I have found in my practice with clients that learning to rest the mind, releasing the need for control and opening up to new possibilities beyond our limited vision, heals the wounded imagination.
The contemplative practice of using our imaginations properly is key to this process. I invite you to at least consider it and let's practice together. I’ll be sharing more on this process in future posts.
Until next time,