Why Christians Should Meditate

Meditation is defined as follows: to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.

It is derived from Latin meditate, meaning ‘contemplated’, and from the verb meditari, meaning ‘measure’. To contemplate means to look thoughtfully for a long time at or to think profoundly at a length. Measure (as a verb) has many synonyms including evaluate and assess.

Stillness, Silence and Simplicity
There are three main components to meditation. In relation to meditation, stillness simply means to be still and remove any distractions. Silence means to let go of your thoughts. Simplicity means to let go of any self-analysis, allowing your mind to be submissive.

Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, improve concentration, slow the aging process, and can even help your immune health. One study, published in 2008 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, showed that 40 of 60 high blood pressure patients who started meditating could stop taking their blood pressure medication.

In a society obsessed with speed, it is important to renew and refocus our minds and hearts each and every day. Meditation forces us to slow down and takes our minds away from focusing on ourselves and the things of this world. It allows us to connect with God and his Word. The Bible tells us what to meditate on in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

The more you pray, read the Word, and meditate on it; the more you will stay connected with God throughout the day. Your desires will align with your purpose and you will begin to see things with a heavenly view.

Psalm 1:1–3
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

By Emily Meadows
https://medium.com/@ByBreadcrumbs