Meditation

Carrie and I were driving on I-95 the other day enjoying an infrequent break in heavy traffic. It was dusk, and as we approached a pickup from the rear we could see a movie being played on one of those LCD screens that clips to the visor. We thought nothing of this until we pulled up beside the pickup and realized there was no passenger in the truck. In fact, the driver was the one watching the movie! After momentary shock and a quick maneuver to get us further from this vehicle I reflected on how this often illustrates my Christian walk. I get pointed in the right direction, I keep up with others around me, and I put on cruise control and sit back for the ride. At some point I get bored and begin looking in other directions for something different until finally I wreck.

To be honest my first thought of Meditation always brings up a picture of a eastern looking monk sitting with his legs crossed wearing a big orange dress and mumbling something I can’t hear, nor do I want to understand. I have always associated meditation with new age and eastern religion. The reality is that meditation is found throughout the Scriptures and all the “greats” of the faith meditated… Moses, David, Paul, and even Jesus. The psalms full of acts of meditation begin in chapter 1 by stating; “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

While things seem unbelievably busy, and while it seems easier to set cruise control and watch a movie, God call out to us and desires us to spend time alone in meditation. In other words God wants us to keep our focus on Him and gives us meditation as a means to do it. Foster defines Christian meditation for practical purposes as the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. He goes on to explain that meditation when done properly and regluarly builds a depth to our relationship with Christ. It help us take what can feel like a sterile relationship and bring intimacy and life to it. This in turn enables us to hear God more readily and it stokes our heart to listen.

There seem to be many ready made plans for meditation… 5 minutes a day to a better you, lying still for a full life… most of which my skeptism meter jumps dramatically. So here is my plan for what it’s worth. After spending time reading the Word and in prayer, I will just sit back and listen. To start it may only be 5 minutes- but I will begin to practice the art of listening to God and meditating on His words. If you were looking for something more tangible or complicated I am sorry to disapoint you. It’s simple but then so is my relationship with Jesus.