Staying Centered in God

I have offered my Four Habits for Inner Peace to help students stay centered in God, but many report to me that they are confused as to how to apply them on a daily basis. (The Four Habits should come after you have completed the lessons in the Workbook). Understand that if you find it difficult to have only one thing to do each day – stay centered in God – that this is just your resistance because you have other goals. In fact, one of the benefits of using the Four Habits is that they make you bump up against your obstacles to Peace sooner, and one of those obstacles is your having other goals besides Peace. So if you are resistant to centering your life in God this resistance is the first obstacle you must overcome. You do this through persistence, and in time, the rewards of practicing the Four Habits will motivate you to keep doing them, and you will overcome this obstacle.

Practically, keeping yourself centered throughout the day using the Four Habits looks like this:

As soon as you can after waking remember God, that your only purpose is to stay centered in God, and that whatever needs to be done that day the Holy Spirit will do through you. If morning is a good time for you to formally commune with God then do so. If it’s difficult to still your mind so early, or your schedule doesn’t permit it, then meditate another time of day. But be sure that at some point during the day you put aside some time (30-60 minutes should be enough) to quiet your mind and open it to simply communing with God. You should do this a minimum of once a day.

Throughout the day take a moment to be still in your mind and connect to God. You can do this at your desk, or on a break, or anytime you just have a quiet moment. Close your eyes for a minute if you can. You might want to find a phrase that will re-center you on God like, “Only God is Real”, or perhaps a phrase from A Course in Miracles. Remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is in charge of your day, and that you are following only the Holy Spirit. You will feel yourself relax and come into the present.

When your peace is disturbed by someone or something outside of you extend God’s Love to replace what you are seeing and experiencing. This will re-center you in the present with Truth again. Find a phrase that works for you like, “Only God is really here” or something from the Course that works for you. If you work with the public you may want to find something to say in your mind when each new person comes up to you that will help you overlook ego and stay centered in God. You will feel yourself detach from what is appearing, and you will feel yourself surrounded by Love.

When you have to make a decision, or when you are confronted with a situation about which you are uncertain, remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is with you, and that the Holy Spirit will make the decision and guide you. Let go of all concern and need for control over the situation; you are only here for the Holy Spirit to work through you. You will know you have let go when you relax and feel centered again. Then you can trust that you are being guided by the Holy Spirit.

If you have not taken the time to commune with God in the morning then take the time later in the day or evening (when you are not too tired and may fall asleep) to meditate, allowing yourself time to process the day, and bring your concerns to the Holy Spirit first, so that you can quiet your mind enough to simply commune with God. Practicing your connectedness to God throughout the day will keep you in the present with the Presence, and will make you long for every moment you can give to God. Your life will naturally simplify, and you will find yourself detaching from the world’s chaos as you live in Peace within.