For most of my life I thought meditation was a bad thing. I thought it was something for Tibetan monks and those practicing yoga. And truth be told I never put much thought to it. Ironic isn't it, not putting much thought to that which the Bible tells us to put thought to.
I've never heard it preached how we should meditate on God, His word, His ways, and His laws. I've heard many the lesson on obeying them, but never one teaching to simply sit and think on them. Yet time and again the Bible tells us to do just that.
Meditating on God's word offers us a chance to sit back and think on His ways and how they apply to our own personal lives. If we do not think on these things, how then can they help us be prepared for life. Day in and out we face ups and downs and if we do not study (with intent) God's word, then are we just hoping it may influence us a little more than the television and the movies we're watching and the music we listen to. Maybe that verse we read over will influence our decisions more than our friends, family and co-workers.
That is not how it works. We must intentionally spend time thinking over God and all he has for us. We must meditate on Him.
To get a clearer understanding of what meditation truly is I once again turned to my trusty Webster's New World Dictionary. Looking up the word "meditate" I found that it means "to plan or intend" or "to think deeply."
I also looked in The Layman's Bible Encyclopedia. According to it, meditation is a "form of private devotion consisting of deep, continued reflection on some religious theme. The word seldom occurs outside of Psalms, but the practice of meditation is clearly regarded as beneficial for Christians. The objects of meditation mentioned in the Psalms are God, his law, and his works. It appears that meditation means active contemplation of its object, a deliberate effort being made to put all distractions out of one's mind. In the Bible it does not have reference to the contemplative mysticism common to Oriental religions and which has had its devotees in Christianity."
It truly seems to go hand in hand with God's call for us to be still. In being still and knowing that He is God, we must actually put thought to the "knowing." How do we know when two people are in love? We put thought into it. We study their ways and note how they look at each other and hold hands. We notice the way they talk to each other and what they say. How then are we to know unwaveringly that God loves us? We have to put thought into it. Know He calls us beloved and take note of the way He cares for us.
The Psalmists repeatedly claim to meditate on God and His precepts. Psalm 1 says the man who does not counsel or stand with the wicked and sinners is blessed. Verse 2 adds that "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."
Psalm 119:15 says, "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways." The Psalmist expands further in verses 97 and 148. He claims his love for God's ways ("Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.") and spends night and day thinking on them ("My eyes stay open through the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promises.").
So to fully grasp this concept we must not read the Bible daily for the sole purpose of simply reading the Bible each and every day. It then becomes mundane and we find our selves scanning through to reach our three chapters a day quota. Scripture calls us to go beyond that and actually spend time afterward thinking on it, considering it, praying about it.
Beth Moore points out in her Bible study Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy that Daniel "resolved" not to defile himself even though he was in the midst of Babylon (Daniel 1:8). To resolve is to "analyze... determine... solve... to come to a decision" (Webster's). One doesn't accidentally resolve to do anything. Living a godly life does not happen by accident. Rearing godly children does not happen by accident. Growing deeper in our walk and relationship with God and Christ is not an accident. We must put though toward these things. We will not accidentally end up in heaven any more than we will accidentally end up in the White House. It takes planning, thought, and effort.
Without thought and meditation, how can we be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2)? We cannot. And renewal is exactly what we need. It's an unfortunate lesson I've learned. By not remaining aware of my thoughts I left an open door for Satan. While my thoughts were not sinful on the surface, they were sin. I was full of constant fear and anxiety. I was being double minded (James 1) and I spiraled out of control.
Only when I was in full on panic attacks did I realize I needed help. I remember dropping to my knees and crying out to God. I turned to His word and began reading and studying with a fervency that tends to only come when you are under serous attack from the enemy. I began doing something I hadn't done since I was a child in Sunday school and actively memorizing Bible verses. I had to be transformed. My mind needed complete reprogramming.
I blessed to say that God heard and He answered. I'm also blessed to say I learned my lesson. Had I been meditating on God's word all along, I would have answered every nagging worry and concern with God's promises. I also would have obeyed Christ's numerous commands not to worry.
Not being conscious of our thoughts toward God and about Him -- or even making sure we have them -- can lead to dangerous territory. It is, indeed, a slow fade. We may not realize the occasional thought of a cute co-worker has led to lust or that our constant annoyance with our boss has led to hate or even that our time in front of the television has gained more importance to us than our daily time alone with God.
As Pastor Peter Van Niekirk said earlier this year while visiting the states, we have got to start "living on purpose." For our thoughts become our words and our words eventually become our actions.
