By Meditation is a Christian discipline but has been usurped by many false religions and social practises. Meditation as God designed it to be used is for much more than mere mental clarity, physical well-being, or personal awareness. It is the object of meditation that is very important in differentiating true Christian meditation from the many other meditation inventions of our time.
Christian meditation is most certainly not about emptying the mind, for Christians are constantly to be “renewing” their mind (Romans 12:2). Christian meditation is also not about focussing on physical things like one’s breathing, personal senses, or the surrounding sounds and light. Christian meditation is also not about focussing on the mystical ‘energy’ around you nor is it about engaging higher spiritual forces.
Christian meditation is all about the Book – God’s self-revelation to man. The world is right in hoping to gain success through meditation, but it must be a meditation that rehearses the great truths of Scripture to oneself (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2-3). Meditation’s purpose though, is not primarily to have a better life, but rather, meditation is the wilful shaping of one’s thinking to be acceptable to God at a thought level too (Psalm 19:14).
One of the greatest joys of Christian meditation is that it does not require a special time, posture, or ritual. Instead, meditation is an ever-ready act of worship for every moment of available time (Psalm 63:6)
Perhaps the clearest explanation of what meditation is, is found in Psalm 77:6 where the Psalmist is overwhelmed with life and through meditation “my spirit makes diligent search“. Meditation is to Scripture what Google is to the internet – meditation is the act of searching through all known Scriptures in one’s mind to search for explanations of this life, counsel for one’s heart, and direction for one’s decisions. No wonder we are to be “renewing our mind” all the time!
It is therefore important to affirm again that it is the object of meditation that differentiates true meditation from all the other forms of meditation. The original, God-designed, object of meditation is always the Scriptures (Psalm 119:15, 48, 99) – God’s self-revelation to man through His character and works (Psalm 145:5).
Oh, how I love your law!
Psalm 119:97
It is my meditation all the day