Do you ever feel guilty because you're not thinking about God enough during your day?

I have. I've wondered why it is that my walk with God is so bad that I hardly think about Him throughout my day. In fact, for most of the day, I do my job and go about my life without a conscious thought of God.

Thankfully God doesn't live without a conscious thought of me. In fact, He exists within me. Paul wrote, "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him." He goes on to say that our body is the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6). This doesn't mean that I've become God, but it means that God's Spirit nudges and guides and prompts me even when I'm not realizing it, even sometimes when I'm not paying attention to Him. He's the source of my Life. He's one spirit with me. Elsewhere, Paul writes that "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:1). So maybe God and I are both thinking about programming websites and designing mobile phone apps while I'm at work.

When the moments come—sometimes briefly—when I'm aware of His presence, I've usually felt guilty for not recognizing Him all along. But I'm coming to realize that this guilt is not from God. "For there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ" (Romans 8:1). He was quietly living in me (Galatians 2:20) all the while. I've heard the saying, "Practice His presence" before, but I think God in His grace understands that I can't be consciously thinking "God, God, God, God, God, God" every waking moment of my day and be able to accomplish anything. I couldn't do my job which requires a lot of concentration. I couldn't even have conversations with my wife and kids. I'd be just plain weird.

So for a big chunk of my day, it seems that God hangs out in the background, but then occasionally He leaps forward into my conscious thoughts. Maybe He's reminding me to pray for someone or help someone in need. Also, when I'm tempted to sin, He always makes me aware of His existence. Unfortunately, sometimes I ignore Him and choose the selfish decision, feeling miserable. But then other times I heed His warning and make the right choice, experiencing victory. When he brings something to your attention, take my advice and don't ignore him.

Remember, Christ's Spirit is indwelling you. He is in you, and you are in Christ. As a Christian, sin is no longer a barrier between you and God. So let go of the guilt. All your sin was forgiven when you were crucified with Christ on the cross. Under this new covenant, it's not about keeping laws, but it's about having a relationship with God. That's so freeing. That's the good news.

So, if you are one in spirit with God, if you have the mind of Christ, then the answer is "Yes!" You are thinking about Him exactly the right amount.

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