Christian
Meditation Part II
By Pastor Timothy Burdick
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be
conformed to this world: but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2)
As we
said in Part I of this two-part series,
Christian Meditation is all about filling
your mind with God’s Word, whereas the
“Eastern” form of “meditation” talks about
emptying the mind in search of peace. This
so-called “peace” that advocates of Eastern
meditation experience is not real peace at
all, for it only seeks to free one from the
pressures of life, rather than teaching
people how to find God and let HIM deal with
our problems. Eastern meditation only is a
deliverance from anxiety of the moment,
within serene circumstances, whereas
meditating on God’s Word will bring you to
Christ, who will heal your fear – forever.
The
Bible helps believers face the inevitable
pressures of life, bringing peace in the
midst of life’s storms. Whatever you are
going through, God wants you to find this
lasting peace through meditating on His
Word, the Bible. That is one reason the
apostle Paul said these words in Romans
12:1-2 - “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be
conformed to this world: but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.”
As
alluded to above, the world is filled with
anxiety and heartache. There is a tremendous
power in conformity, and like a lump of
clay, the world would like to shape and
mentally conform us as Christians into
whatever the fashion dictates at the moment.
But the world’s ungodly system will only
lead us into anxiety, whereas God leads us
into peace; if we will allow His work to be
done in us.
Paul
says we can choose to do this and strive for
lasting peace, by constantly renewing our
minds through continually filling them with
God’s Word, and letting ourselves be shaped
and molded according to God’s design. For
while there will always be trouble in life,
Jesus wants to walk through the dark times
with you. God is a good and loving Father,
who intends that you will experience His "good and acceptable and perfect will" for your
life.
Whatever challenge you are facing, focus on
what God has to say about it. Any time that
you feel anxiety coming on, cling to what He
has said. While I am not promising an easy
life, Jesus does promise you a peace that is
lasting, and we learn about Him that He “will never leave or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Visit Pastor Timothy at New Vision Ministries website www.mynvm.org
Visit Friday Study Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
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