Christian Meditation

Often the word meditation conjures up pictures of one sitting in the lotus position hands out in front of him, thumb to middle finger, chanting "om" to the sounds of eastern bells or didgeridoos.

Since meditation is so closely associated with Eastern religions like Hinduism or Buddhism it is often overlooked by Christians as a pagan practice and written off as taboo. However, meditation not only is a vital part of a stronger Christian faith it is required of us according to God's word.

Eastern and Mystical forms of meditation often seek to experience truth, peace or enlightenment. They seek to experience either God or "the God within" and usually attempt to empty the mind in order to receive truth within.

Biblical meditation, unlike other forms, directs us to dwell or contemplate on reveled truth, which is to think on things that are known to be true. These are things revealed through the Bible, nature, others and even the world that directly express known truths of God (see Philippians 4:8).

For example, in Psalms 1:1-2 the blessed man is one who "meditates (ponders and studies) day and night" on the precepts, instructions, and teachings of God.

It is clear that the Lord wants more than just reading and memorization of the word, His desire is for us to reflect on it and make it a part of our core being. As James writes (1:25) "the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."

As we meditate on the Lord, His works and His written word (logos) these things become alive with in us, that is, we begin to understand them in a personal way (rhema).

Christian meditation also involves pondering the deeper truths of God which are already revealed in creation. The things of God, His non-moral attributes, are evident in the design of the Universe. The creation bears the marks of the creator. As the book of Romans pronounces: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse".

This is not to say that we should mediate or worship nature, but on how it points to the creator of nature. For instance:

• The earths equatorial diameter of 7,927 miles and mass of nearly 6.588 sextillion tons, the Earth is able to provide the perfect gravitational attraction and optimum atmospheric pressure for living organisms.
  
• The Earth's 93 million-mile-average distance from the allows our planet to have an ideal surface temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit and an average ocean-water temperature of 45 degrees. This orbital radius positions our world at the optimum location for life in the entire solar system.
  
• Earth's sidereal day of 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.09 seconds allows for proper, uniform heating and cooling of its spinning as well as the re-circulation of its atmospheric winds and ocean currents in the global hydrologic cycle.

The above bullet points all to demonstrate that the tolerances for life are extremely narrow. The mathematical odds that all of these and other essential conditions happened by random chance are indeed astronomical. The extremely rigid conditions necessary for life to exist and the fact that it actually does and with abundance testifies to intelligent, purposeful design.

"By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place" - Proverbs 3:19

So then, how should a Christian go about meditating?

Start by reading small sections of scripture and then contemplating them. No great rush to form an opinion; let the words of truth infiltrate you, stir around inside a bit and speak to you personally. You may need to read the same passage over and over for a couple days, a week or even a month. It is okay to read what others have written or input from others; however meditation involves you seeking a personal connection with the truth and your life, so take your time and try to fully comprehend the things God has revealed.

You don't have to sit any certain way or do any chanting, but I have found that many great truths become real to me when I have set aside time to be alone with God and my thoughts. Often I spend time in the early morning or late at night just pondering the things of God, it is there, in the stillness and quiet hours that I discover things missed at first glance.

Remember the focus of meditation is not to achieve inner peace or receive enlightenment, but to set our thoughts and internal reflections on the things of God.

Because "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks", meditation place our focus on God and ensures that the internal self is aligned with His Spirit. This way we can be assured that "the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart are pleasing in His sight".