Meditation? Isn’t that some weird eastern thing where people shape their fingers to look like onion rings, inhumanely contort their body, and mumble incessantly like a baby Joan Rivers? No disrespect, but that’s the image a lot of us have when we think about meditation. Or we have the oh-thats-not-good-is-it? feeling because we’re not sure if it’s ‘right’ to meditate.
First things first. Yes, there are many forms of meditation and while some are definitely out of line with scripture, most are helpful and innocent.
Secondly, you already meditate. I’m not saying that you’ve gone on quests to be one with everything (which is how I order my hot-dogs.) If you’ve ever worried (and you have) then you have meditated. Meditation is focused attention on a thought or an idea. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines meditation as
“To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the great truths of religion.”
So we’re already meditating whether it’s on scripture or an overdue mortgage payment or a sick relative. The question is does God want us to meditate and what should be meditate on?
God instructs Joshua to meditate on the book of the law and to not let it depart his lips (Joshua 1:8) and that he would have success in doing so. The Psalmist delighted in meditating on the Word day and night (Psalm 1:2.)
Day and night? That’s a lot isn’t it? In Proverbs 7:3, Solomon instructs his son take his wisdom and bind it to his fingers and write it on the table of his heart. The heart is a reference to the soul and the mind – our thoughts. Where did Jesus say our thoughts should reside? In the book of Matthew, Christ instructs us not to THINK or WORRY about minor things. In fact he tells us what we should mind, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mat 6:33 KJV)
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:2 to set our minds on things above and not on things in this world and in Philippians 4:8 he teaches to focus on things that are pure, noble, right, lovely and admirable! Wow! I know I got a long way to go.
Meditation is simply thinking. We are doing it all the time and most of that time it’s on petty little things or wrapped up in who we are and what others think of us. We need to put on the mind of Christ and begin paying attention to what we ARE focusing on.
Action point: pick one verse out of the Bible you know well or like and write it on a 3×5 card. Carry it around and, when you catch yourself thinking about less-than-good things, take it out and think about it instead. What could happen? “…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8b KJV.
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