The practice of meditation is now being encouraged world-wide to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, alleviate heart disease, and to create calm and well-being. For these reasons alone, all people, including Christians, should incorporate some form of meditation into their daily schedule.
Yet, one of the greatest benefits of meditation to the Christian is learning to subdue our minds and bring our thoughts under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the practice of Christian meditation, we can literally transform our mind into a vehicle for higher awareness.
We know from scriptures that the mind is the greatest battle of the believer. It is where the battle begins and ends. The Bible tells us that our minds are depraved, wicked, fearful, and faithless. That is why Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the whole armor of God and to bring every thought under the subjection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is where true peace and prosperity originates.
Christian meditation is a way for us to become aware of the fact that there is more to our being than just our physical activity. This higher awareness creates a greater capacity for us to know and fellowship with God. We have so much more potential locked away within us, but unfortunately we allow our fears, limiting beliefs, and negative thinking to rob us of our highest potential. By not subduing our thoughts and spending time in God’s silent presence, we miss the opportunity to tap into valuable resources and blessings just waiting to overtake us. If our life is filled with urgencies and busyness, we will never step into that realm of God’s abundance supply which is far more than material wealth and riches.
Our spirit is the real benefactor in these moments of quiet reflection and meditation. During times of meditation and quiet contemplation, thoughts that never have the opportunity to be heard during the bustle of the day can whisper to us. We literally open our hearts to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit- our inner witness.
Every action we’ve ever taken started as a thought. Therefore our thoughts often become our realities. This can be positive or negative depending upon what you’re thinking about. Jesus told us that “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” How often do you observe your thought life? Are you thinking thoughts of love, faith, and joy or fear and lack? The Bibles says a good man out of the good treasure of his heart creates that which is good, but this also applies to our bad thoughts as well. My pastor often says that “our thoughts our prayers.” The constant thoughts of the day and night have much more impact on our life than the occasional prayer here and there. The good thing is we can use the principles of meditation (quiet reflection) to monitor and pay more attention to our inner thought life. We can also use it to tame the thoughts that are creating havoc in our lives and relationships as well.
Every step that we take is a step in some direction for our life. God gives us free-will. We have the ability to create our own destiny. The question remains, are you creating your life on purpose or by default? Taking control of your mind and what you meditate on will ensure that you’re creating the life you want instead of falling prey to whatever comes your way. I have a statement on my refrigerator that reads, “I have what I want, and I want what I have. I take 100% responsibility for my creations.” We are all co-creators with God and the universe (Holy Spirit). God said he will give us the desires of our heart and the funny thing is that He has. He has given us what we expect. He has given us what we think about. He has given us what we meditate on. But He has also given us the ability to choose our focus, our thoughts, and our actions, and He continually tells us to “Choose Life.” By choosing life we choose his thoughts, his ways, and his mind. The Bible says that man develops his way but God directs his steps. Yet, if we are continuously planning but not communing with God by becoming still and sitting at his feet, we may miss the guidance and direction we so desperately need.
On a practical or physical level, it is in these quiet moments that our mind has the opportunity to heal itself from the stresses of the everyday activities and maintain a real level of mental and emotional health and well-being. Our spirit has the opportunity to renew and revive. Like the dying patient that receives the administration of CPR in the final hour, our spirit receives the moments of solitude that allow it to regroup, regain that wonderful faith in God, ourselves, and mankind. Our mind, like our body, doesn’t have to look unhealthy to be unhealthy, but sooner or later, the illnesses show, unless we take the time to nurture inner being.
Some people choose to accommodate this through community worship, some people through moments of quiet solitude in nature. Still others choose renewal through silent meditation and prayer. No matter our choice of activity, the important accomplishment lays in the renewal of our spirituality and a deeper connection with our Creator.
