Christians have been wary of meditation - and
rightly so, as non-Christian influences have permeated the practice of
meditation. The good news is that recently, there has been a renewal of
Christian meditation.
Back
to the basics. Christian
meditation was practiced for centuries. It was a hallmark of
the early Christian church, and even prior to Christ’s coming, meditation was
mentioned many times throughout the Scriptures. In Joshua 1:8, God commanded
Joshua to meditate on His Word day and night, to ensure that he would obey it.
The Psalmist says in Psalm 1: “Blessed is
the man who delights in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day
and night”.
Meditation
was a way of life for the early Christians. It was a regular discipline pursued
for the purpose of deeply knowing God. Brother Lawrence wrote about ‘practicing
the presence of God’ continuously throughout his day. While the Quakers went
about their work they whispered ‘breath prayers’ like ‘Lord, have mercy’ and
‘Come, Lord Jesus’ to help them focus on God.
Benefits. In
our stressful, fast-paced society, the benefits of meditation are well
documented. Dr. Archibald Hart is a Christian psychologist and author of “The Anxiety Cure”. In his book, he says that
“not only is meditation valid, but I would go a step further and say that it is
essential to the Christian’s life. Research indicates that the benefits of
meditation are overwhelmingly positive. From Olympic athletes to business
executives, meditation has been found to be very beneficial. To be
Christian, meditation must depend for its results not just on the physical
value of meditating, but of the very action of God’s grace as well. It is the
action of the Holy Spirit within the soul of the believer, releasing the
presence of God to be felt and experienced down to the very marrow of every
bone that brings healing.” (italics mine).
The
greatest benefit to the Christian is that, in meditation, we stop looking
inwardly, struggling with our human perspective. We end our self-absorption
(navel-gazing, if you will) and we become God-centered. In Godly meditation,
it’s not about us – it’s about Him. It is a dynamic process where we encounter
the presence of a living God and His truth.
Ways to meditate.
One way the early Christians taught us to meditate was to read a verse of
Scripture, slowly contemplate the text and ask God how it applies to us. We let
the text work itself within, listen to His voice through His Word and then rest
in His promises. Another way to meditate is to reflect on the nature and names
of God, using meaningful Scriptures and word pictures that demonstrate His
character. Meditational prayer, worship in music, contemplating nature, and
silent contemplation are other means of meditation, and are often interwoven as
we seek to come near to God.
Biblical
meditation is primarily a time of listening. This is not the time to
dissect a Bible verse or to bring our shopping list to God. It is a time of
quieting the mind, being still, and listening.
In
my blog next month, we will do a guided biblical meditation together, learning
how to be still, quiet our minds and listen to God through His Word.
James
4:8, “Come close to God and He will come
close to you.”
Shalom,
Ruth G.
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