Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Happy New Year! Let’s start 2025 with our focus on God!

I have begun this year trying to stop my mind from wondering off into the wide blue yonder.

Have you ever driven to a destination and wonder how you got there? Oh, come on, never? I have a few times. Some people will tell you that they get into auto pilot mode, but is that safe? I can’t say whether it is safe or not, but the times it has happened to me, nothing catastrophic has happened; I was safe. I got home or wherever my destination was without mishap. However, I truly believe that we should be very present when we are driving.

So, like that auto pilot drive home, how often in our lives are we not mindful about what is going on around us? I think we would be surprised how many words, scenarios, moments of joy or sadness we miss because of not staying in the moment.

While doing things on auto pilot can have benefits, such as functioning more efficiently without caring about every little detail. Being on auto pilot means we won’t experience as much boredom with our daily activities. However, like a coin, there are two sides to this part of our function. It can also introduce an element of danger when doing tasks like driving, or even simple tasks like walking down a set of stairs.

In our work environments being on auto pilot will cause us to be prone to making mistakes. We may continue doing things the same old way because we are comfortable with working on auto pilot and not having to engage in the creative side of our brain.

The last thing we want is more stress, but we do need to take time out of our auto pilot environment if we want to move in the ways God has for us. I challenge you in this next month, take a daily break to move out of auto pilot and pray, seek God, and then act. Don’t get stressed about it; even stepping out of auto pilot for ten minutes a day is a very good start.

Be encouraged, God is not done yet, He has the best plan ever!