The Discipline of Meditation
Noise. Pressure. Stress. From the moment we get out of bed in the morning, to the time we lay down at night, we are bombarded by noise and pressure. From what we listen to, to the things we watch and read, we are pressured into thinking like the culture around us. We have small computers in our pockets, so that if we are away from our televisions, computers or radios, we can still have access to news, social media, and much, much more. Even the watches on our wrists are so well connected to the noise that we don’t have to take our phones out of our pockets.
Video and mobile games, social media, cable television (shout out to the dinosaurs), news sources. Each of these platforms have different men and women at their helms with agendas. Each of them fighting so that you, the user, would adopt their convictions, perspectives and priorities.
As a result, we as a people are constantly pressured into what to think, how to feel, and what is or is not true or “normal.” We exist in a world of electronic chaos and information overload.
An age of information, yet so little wisdom, an age of convenience, yet so little peace, vast opportunities yet so few of us actually prosper.
The discipline of meditation is a way of mitigating all of the noise and finding peace, wisdom, and prosperity in the person of Jesus Christ.
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
When I was first introduced to meditation as a means of growing closer to Jesus, I was confused. I had always thought that meditation was an eastern thing. Something that practitioners of eastern religion and yoga, did to empty their minds and become one with the universe or something like that. Turns out, I was really wrong.
Joshua 1:8 New Living Translation (NLT)
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
If you’re not familiar with this bible story, Joshua was the man called to lead a nomadic nation of over a million strong. Many of which were complainers and malcontents. This was after the previous leader Moses, a powerful man who spoke with God face to face, was prohibited from entering the promised land because he struck a rock that God said to speak to (I know it’s one of many weird stories in the bible, check it out).
I’m confident of one thing, Joshua was stressed because there were literally millions of opinions, perspectives, and convictions pressuring him to do things their way.
The verse above is part of the conversation God had with Joshua before sending him off. In it God gives Joshua the key to peace and success.
It wasn’t the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership.
It wasn’t the seven habits of highly successful people.
(Two of my favorite books of all time)
Joshua was told to study and meditate on the book of instruction.
The Hebrew word that we translate as meditate is the word hagah. It means to utter, muse, devise, plot, or speak. God was telling Joshua, in addition to studying it, to utter the book of instruction, to muse over the book of instruction, to devise plans using the book of instruction, and to speak the words written in the book of instruction over and over. God wanted Joshua to read, speak, and think about the book of instruction so much that it became the source of his thoughts and actions.
We’ve said it before, Raquel and I believe that the bible is like a sign, a map, or footprints, that lead us to Jesus.
So, in the context of holistically following Jesus, meditation is the repeated reading, speaking, and musing over the bible until it becomes the source of our thoughts and behaviors. Why is this so life changing?
In a world full of so many shifting convictions, priorities, and “truths,” meditation roots followers of Jesus in the eternal, never-changing and absolute truth. The person of Jesus.
The discipline of meditation is choosing to fill ourselves with, and thus become more like Jesus. This has been the key to peace, wisdom, and prosperity in the lives of Raquel and I.
Isaiah 26:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Psalm 1:1-3 New Living Translation (NLT)
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
I’m not sure if you have noticed it, but mental health seems to be on a steady decline all around us. I can’t begin to count the friends and family within my community that have struggled with their mental health. More times than I would want to admit in past years I have struggled messily through seasons of depression and anxiety.
We are set up for failure. Day after day, as we turn on our phones, televisions, computers, watches, etc… we are bombarded by some new definition of right and wrong, success or health.
I mean, is salt good or bad for me? How about coconut oil? Eggs? What the hell is an “influencer?” Why am I so concerned with having more likes/followers on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or whatever other social media platform? What is gender? What does it mean to be a man? A woman? Should we spank our children or not? Do we set our kids up for success or make life hard for them so they don’t become entitled? Do “time outs” still cause irreversible trauma or can we sit our children in the corner when they misbehave?
With constant access to so many “expert” opinions, convictions, and perspectives, it is far too easy to become lost and discouraged. Frozen in place, fearful of making any decisions for fear of failure. Or pressured into making decisions that betray our convictions for fear of rejection. I know that most of us have felt this way before.
By no means am I trying to oversimplify mental health or recovery, nor am I trying to downplay anyone’s struggles. What I am saying is that Raquel and I have seen many of the people (including ourselves), once crippled by anxiety, depression, etc… not only manage, but prosper in life.
Each and everyone of us meditates daily. We repeatedly speak and think things that we believe about ourselves, and as a result make decisions based on that.
“I’ll never get better.”
“I’ll always be depressed.”
“I can’t beat this anxiety.”
“I’ll never find peace.”
“Insert your meditation here.”
The discipline of meditation isn’t doing something new. Its changing the focus of what you’re already meditating on.
Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation (NLT)
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
This verse is the greatest tool in my meditation toolbox. It takes some practice, but if you start to slow down and stay aware of what you think about during the day, this verse will change your life. Whatever you begin to think about, ask yourself, “Is this thought true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise?”
If the answer is yes, have at it. Think about it over and over, focus on it, visualize it, write it down, tattoo it on your face in a way that allows you to read it in a mirror (this last one is a joke for those who want to take me too seriously). The bible is full of this kind of meditation material.
If the answer is no, don’t allow yourself to focus on it. This will take practice and dedication. Some thoughts are sneaky and keep making their way back up into our heads. Each time that happens, remind yourself that it’s not worthy of your time or headspace. Begin to think about the things that you already know are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.
Now, there is so much more I want to say about the discipline of meditation and its applications than there is time or space for in this post. But I believe that this is a really good starting point. This week, pay attention to what you’re allowing into your head and what you spend time thinking about and repeating back to yourself. Remember that what we think about and repeat forms our thoughts and behaviors.
Practice meditating on the truth that is found in the scriptures and in the person of Jesus.
Until Next Time,
We Are Ecclesia
