15 Principles of Meditation

that we’re constantly going to be struggling with as long as we’re in this world. It’s not easy to be in the world and not of it. There is so much pressuring us toward the things of the world that we start lusting after the things of the world.

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Now, let me give you eight principles of Christian meditation, which is the practice of right thinking. These are not necessarily laws, but principles I think might be helpful. Here are the first four. First, it’s important to realize that human beings are meditators. It’s not really a matter of whether you are going to meditate, but on what or on whom you’re going to meditate. We are basically meditators. We are incurably religious, and a crucial part of religion is meditation. So, a human being is incurably a meditating creature.

Second, biblical meditation and all other meditation is work. This is why every form of meditation on the market today involves some kind of technique. It might be a breathing process or a yoga exercise or some other method.

It’s interesting to learn that we don’t find a physical technique for meditation listed in the Bible. Yet, if meditation is going to have powerful results, then it must be worked at. Powerful meditation is not going to happen accidentally; it’s got to be given disciplined effort on our part.

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Number three is the central principle of meditation: The object of our meditation determines the validity of our meditation. Meditation is like faith or belief. We can’t just have faith; it must have an object. Even if we’re meditating on the wrong things, meditation must have an object. To meditate on the right object means to meditate on the person, Word, and works of God. So, the object of our meditation determines the validity of our meditation.

Fourth, biblical meditation becomes a means whereby we may think God’s thoughts after Him. The Bible teaches that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8–9). Meditation is one of the means by which we can begin to develop His thoughts.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that “we have the mind of Christ.” This gives us an opportunity to think the thoughts of God after Him. With the mind of Christ, we can increasingly set our minds on Him.

Once again, Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” These are the thoughts of Jesus Christ and should be ours as well.

Further, in Colossians 3:1–2 Paul says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, . . . set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” The more we set

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our affections and think on the things above, the more we develop the mind of Christ within.

We all have the mind of Christ because it’s our birthright when we’re born again. Tragically, however, many of us never develop it and never learn to think with it. Biblical meditation is the process of developing the mind of Christ within us so that we can really begin to think like Christ. And since thinking is the dress rehearsal for action, we can begin to act more and more like Him as a result.

Four More Principles

Go back and digest these first four principles when you have time, because I want to move on to the next four. The fifth principle is this: Meditation is a practical means of increasing and maturing your faith. The more we meditate on God’s faithfulness, the more our faith is increased. This is one of the reasons that many of us have weak faith—we have such a small concept of God. The more we meditate on the person of God and His faithfulness, the more our faith will be increased.

All wrong thinking starts with wrong thinking about God. As our meditation is, so is our faith. What is it then that destroys faith? Unbelief. Faith and unbelief are mutually exclusive. They cancel each other out. We are incapable of having more than one mental or emo-

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tional focus at the same time. We cannot be meditating on faith and on unbelief at the same time.

If we’re being honest, all of us have periods of unbelief. The question is, Are we going to side with our unbelief or with our belief ? Which one are we going to meditate upon? Whichever one we meditate on really shows what we’ve chosen.

What do you mainly meditate on? Do you meditate mostly on the things that you don’t understand, your doubts, your perplexities, and your confusion? Or do you meditate on the things that you do know and that you do understand?

The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said this about doubt: “Tell me of your certainties. I have doubts enough of my own.” It doesn’t do any good to go out into a doubtful, confused world and just further propagate this doubt. Are you going to practice doubt or faith?

Principle number six: Meditation is a means of enhancing our worship. Since meditation is focusing on the person, Word, and works of God, it will naturally lead to adoration. The more we begin to meditate on who God is and what He has done, the more we will be driven to adore Him.

When King David meditated on the person of God, it drove him to worship. Meditation is one of the great ways to enhance our own worship because it lifts us out of the mundane.

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