Meditation as Transformation
How do we experience life to the full?
Is it possible? Could we potentially be overcomplicating it?
Jesus himself said that, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b, NIV).
But what does that mean? How are we to actually experience this life to the full?
I think it comes down to adopting the patterns, ways, decisions, and character of Jesus Christ.
In other words, we seek to become like Jesus. Why? Because when we become like Jesus, we live how Jesus lived and experience the way of life that He promised us.
Please hear me, we don’t do this out of a posture of trying to earn something—there’s nothing we can do to earn salvation or eternal life. It’s not about acing the test or passing the exam. But, as Dallas Willard once said, “grace isn’t opposed to effort, grace is opposed to earning.”
In other words, once we’ve said yes to following Jesus, the next move is our move. We are enabled—through the power of the Holy Spirit—to actually put into practice the commands and directives that our Master Jesus gives us.
Many of us read the words of Jesus and think, “ah, yeah that sounds nice but that’s not for me. It’s not for me to turn the other cheek, it’s not for me to forgive over and over again, it’s not for me to treat the marginalized with dignity.”
Well, then I’d argue that following Jesus isn’t for you either.
That’s a hard truth to swallow, but it’s reality nonetheless.
Because once we pledge our allegiance to Jesus, our response must be becoming like Jesus. If we’re not moving in the direction of Jesus and growing in our ability to love God and love others, then, as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, “it’s all worthless.”
So how do we do it?
How do we go about transforming or renewing our mind and becoming people of love?
I think holding God’s Word close to our heart and meditating on it is a key spiritual rhythm to regularly return to.
Did you know that it has been scientifically proven, through this concept called neuroplasticity, that Paul’s idea of, “renewing your mind” is not just a biblical truth but a scientific fact?
Whether you’re a Christian or not, whether you believe in Jesus as Lord or not, renewing your mind has been scientifically proven to be possible.
And the way that we do that, the way we “renew our mind” in biblical language, is by training our mind with thought patterns, action patterns, or what we would call habits and repetition. The key is that the next time you’re triggered to blow past self-control, we train ourselves to remember the truth about who we really are and what God has really called us to do.
This where the practice of Scripture meditation and memorization is so key. If we are able to put the Word of the Lord on the front of our minds continually, we’ll find ourselves actually walking more and more in step with the Holy Spirit—more in step with faith, hope, and ultimately, love.
Joshua 1:8 says, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
To meditate on the Word of God transforms our minds into becoming people who look, think, talk, and act more like Jesus.
So, this week, what would it look like for you to commit the two verses above to memory?
How might the Truth of the Lord help you experience life and life to the full?
It’s possible, my friends. May we be people who hold God’s Word tightly in an effort to be transformed, for the sake of the world around us.
Be encouraged.
