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Last updated on
Apr. 9, 2003
Meditation
Delivered March 30, 2003,
by Pastor Werner De Jong
Text: Psalm 1
Main Idea: The spiritual discipline of meditation is critical for the renewing of our minds, for changing our mental attitudes so that the way we think reflects the way Jesus thinks. When we regularly immerse ourselves in God's word, by meditating on it, our lives will bear fruit by demonstrating greater obedience to God.
Purpose: To describe the need and practice of meditation. To challenge the listeners to adopt meditation as a spiritual discipline. To encourage the listeners that meditation on God's word helps to renew our minds and helps us bear fruit.
Introduction: If you were marooned on a deserted island and could only have one book with you, what would you choose? Somebody once asked this question of G.K. Chesterton, who was one of the most insightful Christian authors of the 20th century. Given his faith, we might expect him to answer, "Why, the Bible of course." But he didn't. What did he choose? Thomas' Guide to Practical Shipbuilding. That makes sense, of course. When you are stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean, you want practical help on how to get home. You want a book that will lead to your rescue.
Eugene Peterson has cleverly suggested that we are all trapped on an island, only it is spelled like this: "I-land" (see overhead). In other words, he is drawing attention to the fact that we all need to be saved from our preoccupation with our own lives, from our selfishness, from that rebellious spirit, which the Bible calls sin, that always wants to enthrone itself, rather than God, at the centre of the universe.
When you are shipwrecked on this I-land, the practical shipbuilding guide can't help you! The one book which can help lead to your deliverance is the Bible, the Word of God. (This introduction is based on pp. 191-92 in The Life You've Always Wanted, by John Ortberg). Those who immerse themselves in its teaching will learn about grace and forgiveness, and about a new way to live, one in which God the Creator is worshipped, and not we as his creatures. If we want to be delivered from self-centeredness, we need to become a people of the book. Sadly there is a "famine for hearing the word of the Lord" in our society today. Even among Christians there are many who scarcely touch their Bibles, and there are many more who have never read through the entire Bible at least once. It is hard to understand why this is if we truly believe that our Creator speaks to us through the Bible.
Psalm 1: The two ways: Our scripture reading, Psalm 1, draws a stark distinction between the two ways life can be lived, for self or for God. Its fundamental contrast is between those who delight in God's word and those who ignore it and prefer to do their own thing. According to the psalm, the wicked are those who choose to live for self, who prefer their own advice and wisdom and way of living to that commended in the word of God. This is a fatal choice, for in the end the wicked will perish in the judgment, they will be like the dry chaff that the wind drives away. But the psalm pronounces as happy and righteous those who delight in doing the Lord's will. These people, according to the psalm, are those who care so deeply about the words of God that they meditate upon his law day and night.
Today we are going to continue with our series on the spiritual disciplines. Throughout this series we have looked at the basic question of how we as Christians can grow spiritually. How can we grow in our obedience to God? How can we become more Christlike in character? How can we be transformed from people who often feel guilty and inadequate into people who respond much more often in a Christlike manner to life's circumstances?
Generally speaking, we've seen how the New Testament answers by stressing the importance of the spiritually disciplined life. The Old Testament provides the foundation for such a response. For example, here in the very first psalm a spiritual discipline rises to prominence, the discipline of meditation. As the psalm pronounces, those who meditate upon God's word are like trees planted by the riverside, trees which do not dry out, trees which always bear fruit in due season. That is a great metaphor for spiritual growth.
Many scholars have rightly pointed out that Psalm 1 was intentionally placed at the very beginning of the entire psalter precisely because it instructs readers in the way that leads to life. That way is to embrace with joy the words of God, it is to show continuous concern for the instructions of the Lord, rather than becoming preoccupied with our own plans and the ways of the world. And specifically, this introduction to the psalter recommends that we show our delight for God's word by constantly meditating upon it.
Meditation: The practice of meditation is an ancient discipline. Its first mention in the Bible goes as far back as the patriarch Isaac, of whom we read: "He went out to the field one evening to meditate..." (Gen. 24:63, NIV). After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it" (Joshua 1:8). We could go on, but suffice it to say that there are over 50 references to meditation in the Old Testament.
Unfortunately, the practice of meditation has fallen upon hard times in many contemporary churches. One reason is that we live in a culture which stresses action but not reflection. Unless we are up and about and doing something physical we may feel like we are wasting our time. Hopefully the example we heard last week of Jesus withdrawing frequently to solitary places to reflect and pray will put such an idea to rest. The spiritual disciplines do not detract from our ministry in this world, rather they strengthen us for it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer realized this, and when he was asked why he meditated, he answered very simply, "Because I am a Christian."
Another significant reason for the decline of meditation is that it has fallen under suspicion among Christians, especially with the rise of the New Age movement. When I was in university the New Age movement was coming to prominence, and we were warned about the dangers of eastern meditation, or transcendental meditation. The warning is valid, but we must be aware that Biblical meditation is different. I like how Richard Foster expresses the difference: "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind....Eastern forms of meditation stress the need to become detached from the world. There is an emphasis upon losing personhood and individuality and merging with the Cosmic Mind....There is no (personal) God to be attached to or to hear from" (Celebration of Discipline, pp. 20-21). But in Christian meditation we deliberately fill our minds with the Word of God in order to attach ourselves to our personal, loving Creator, who revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ.
What is meditation?: Having said this, we are now in a good position to answer the important question, "What is meditation?" With regard to the Bible, meditation is quite simply reading God's word and taking the time to reflect on it, to let it sink in. It is considering what God may be trying to say to me through a given passage. God may want to speak to me about his own character, about my character, about my manner of living, about my practical every day service for him. In meditation our desire is simply to have God speak to us through his Word.
It may be helpful to contrast meditation with Bible study: when we engage in the discipline of study, which is a separate discipline, we pay more attention to the historical background of a passage, we pay close attention to context, we may want to know more about the meaning of certain Hebrew or Greek words, we analyse the grammar, and so on. But meditation is not a time for technical studies, although it may be understood as building upon them. For its part, meditation centres on listening to God, it is a process of internalizing and personalizing the passage. This is how Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it: "...just as you do not analyse the words of someone you love, but accept them as they are said to you, accept the Word of Scripture and ponder it in your heart as Mary did. That is all. That is meditation." In meditation we ponder the Bible as the word of our loving heavenly Father for us. When we engage in meditation we do so with the faith that the Creator of the universe wants to have fellowship with us. We commune with him in his word. There is certainly a time and a need for more in-depth Bible study, but meditation is primarily a time for lingering and listening.
Jesus demonstrated for us what a relationship of listening to God looks like. He listened to him in all things, and obeyed him at all times. Jesus' intimate relationship with his Father is particularly evident in the gospel of John. Listen to these select verses, in which Jesus highlights the fact that he did nothing without first listening to his Father: "Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise" (5:19); "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do the will of him who sent me" (5:30); "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works" (14:10).
The goal of meditation is always to hear God's voice and obey his word. Jesus plainly demonstrated that it is possible to hear God's voice; if meditation is going to benefit is, we must have the same faith. We engage in meditation in order that our character may be changed as a result of meeting with the living God. We engage with the Word of God in order that we may be better prepared to engage in Christian living. The apostle Paul eagerly pointed out this lesson to his young apprentice Timothy to whom he wrote: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." Why? "...so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16).
How does meditation help change us: Before we look at some practical steps to help us practice the discipline of meditation, there is one more important question to ask: How does meditation bring about transformation is us?
John Ortberg points us to a very visual answer. He quotes Paul's words in Ephesians 5, where Paul describes Christ's intentions for the church: "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word..." (5: 25-26). Paul's metaphor suggests that the word of God acts like water, it cleans what is dirty, it washes the church, so that one day the church can be presented to Christ without a spot or wrinkle of any kind (v. 27).
Consider what happens when something doesn't get washed properly. One of our children, who I won't name, has gone through a growth spurt, and unbeknownst to us had only one pair of pants which still fit. Let's just say they were worn for too many days, until they were ripped on Friday. When Joanne went to sew the tear in them, you can imagine her reaction: "These pants reek!!"
By contrast, we also know what happens when something does get clean. Once those pants were thrown in the washing machine, which was immediately after they were sewn, soap and water worked their way deep down into the fabric and lifted out all of the impurities. This is the effect meditating on the word of God has on us. Our minds are often filled with unclean thoughts and impure motives, our goals and ambitions often have a very selfish slant to them. But when we soak ourselves in the Scriptures, we expose our innermost being to the cleansing action of God's word. We are cleaned from the inside out!
In Romans 12 we are told, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds" (v. 12). When we meditate we create the space within us to allow this to happen. When we reflect on God's word and hold it in our minds it cleanses us, it transforms our way of thinking. And what we think about will be reflected in our actions. This is why Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (4:8).
Practising Meditation: Before we conclude, I'd like to look at some suggestions to help us enter into the practice of meditation.
- Begin with Prayer: It is a good idea to begin any time of meditation with prayer. We pray quite simply that as we contemplate and reflect God would meet with us. This is an act of faith that the Bible is the Word of God speaking. It is an act of preparation, of opening ourselves to the Spirit of Christ. It is also an act of humility, an acknowledgment that we depend on God's grace for spiritual growth.
If we have never practised meditation it probably won't come easily at first. Our culture doesn't encourage the development of these contemplative skills. This is why Richard Foster writes, "Anyone who thinks he can simply begin meditating without praying for the desire and the grace to do so, will soon give up." But if he also adds that we shouldn't grow discouraged if in the beginning our meditations have little meaning for us. It takes time to learn new spiritual skills, just like it takes time to learn any new skill (Celebration of Discipline, chapter on "Meditation").
We can add Dietrich Bonhoeffer's words to this thought: "Often we are so burdened and overwhelmed with other thoughts, images, and concerns that it may take a long time before God's word has swept all else aside and come through....This is the very reason why we begin our meditation with the prayer that God may send his Holy Spirit to us through his Word and reveal his Word to us and enlighten us."
- Read for Transformation: When we enter into a time of meditation, we should resolve beforehand that we will obey anything God says to us through the Word. We don't meditate primarily to gather information; rather, we meditate because we are seeking transformation. We don't meditate in order to prove a point or win a theological argument; rather, we meditate with a vulnerable heart, with humility and an openness to hear from God.
It is possible to read the Bible in the wrong way. There are some people who read it simply because they want to accumulate more and more knowledge. They don't read it with the intent of allowing it to wash and purify them; rather, they simply seek to read because they want to know more about the Bible than the next person.
On one occasion Jesus addressed the religious leaders of his day who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture. He said to them: "You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life" (John 5:39-40). These religious leaders never allowed the Bible's teachings on humility to cleanse their minds of pride. Although they diligently searched the Scriptures, they never allowed the word to wash out thoughts of judgmentalism and make room for love (The Life You've Always Wanted, p. 183-186). If meditation is to benefit us, we must always approach God's word with humility and reverence. Our desire is to meet Jesus, so he can transform us.
- Meditate on short passages: Thirdly, when we read reflectively it is usually best to focus on short passages of Scripture. There is definitely a time and place for reading through the entire Bible, but when we read for transformation it is best to go slowly. It takes time for words or ideas to sink into our hearts and minds. We may want to spend 10 minutes, 15 minutes, half an hour, reflecting on a single word, thought, idea or paragraph.
Success in meditation isn't measured by the number of pages that we have read. Henrietta was a girl on our mission team in Norway. She set herself the goal of reading through the entire Bible, which is a great goal. She stuck to it, and finished it within about half a year. But some time after she was done she said, "I haven't read my Bible for quite a while. I achieved my goal, I can't seem to get motivated." She needed to hear about the discipline of meditation. As John Ortberg puts it, "The goal in meditation is not for us to get through the Scriptures, it is for the Scriptures to get through to us."
Psalm 1 promises that fruitful living will accompany the one who meditates day and night. Meditation is not something that we rush, it is something that we mull over. After we have reflected for a time on an idea it is much easier to carry it with us throughout the day, and thus to continue to allow the word to wash us and form us. Our psalm spoke of a tree flourishing by the riverside. Meditation is as slow as the process by which the tree draws life giving water through its roots up to its branches.
- Use Your Imagination: Finally, an excellent aid to meditation is making use of our imaginations. If you are reading a story in Scripture, use your imagination to enter it, not as passive observers, but as active participants. Alexander Whyte writes, "with your imagination anointed with holy oil, you open your New Testament. At one time, you are the publican: at another time you are the prodigal...at another time, you are Mary Magdalene, at another time, Peter in the porch....Till your whole New Testament is all over autobiographic of you" (as recorded in Celebration of Discipline, p. 30). As the prodigal, how does it feel when the Father's arms are wrapped around you? As Peter, what do you see on the Mount of Transfiguraton? As Mary, what do you experience when you discover the empty tomb? In various Bible stories, can you hear the lap of the waves, can you taste the broiled fish, can you smell the flowers of the fields? It has been my own experience that reading the Bible in such a way makes it come alive.
"Blessed are those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his word they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season, and whose leaves do not wither."