Meditation: Biblical Mandate to Muse on God
I wrote previously about the importance of reading and studying for the Christian. While these activities may be difficult, they are at least within the cultural norm of the West. One thing, however, that is quite foreign is the art of meditation. I do not mean the unbiblical meditation of the East that teaches that we must utterly empty our mind. Rather, I mean the meditation that we are continually exhorted to do in Scripture.
J.I. Packer provides a great definition for this practice.
Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God. Its purpose is to clear one's mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let His truth make its full and proper impact on one's mind and heart. It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself; it is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself; reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace. Its effect is ever to humble us, as we contemplate God's greatness and glory, and our own littleness and sinfulness, and to encourage and reassure us - 'comfort' us, in the old, strong, Bible sense of the word - as we contemplate the unsearchable riches of divine mercy displayed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What are your thoughts? I think I'd like to call the practice "Contemplation" or "Spiritual Reflection" but I do think that Packer hits it right on.
In Christ alone,
mike
J.I. Packer provides a great definition for this practice.
Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God. Its purpose is to clear one's mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let His truth make its full and proper impact on one's mind and heart. It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself; it is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself; reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace. Its effect is ever to humble us, as we contemplate God's greatness and glory, and our own littleness and sinfulness, and to encourage and reassure us - 'comfort' us, in the old, strong, Bible sense of the word - as we contemplate the unsearchable riches of divine mercy displayed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What are your thoughts? I think I'd like to call the practice "Contemplation" or "Spiritual Reflection" but I do think that Packer hits it right on.
In Christ alone,
mike
posted by Mike | 11:51 PM
1 Comments:
I agree with Packer and with you that this is a valuable tool for spiritual growth.
The problem with practicing meditation is that we are mentally lazy. We would rather sit mindlessly in front of the tv for hours, we would rather listen to someone else tell us what to think, we would rather read a book that distills someone else's thoughts about God and His word.
Our culture values hard work in terms of visible output not our ability to be contemplative.
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