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Meditation As The Foundation Of My Spirituality: Part 2
As I enjoy this Easter weekend with family and friends, I’m reminded of the many benefits of meditation in my life. One benefit being in a constant state of being ready to be with others. Often we may socialize, listen to our kids or spouse, but in our mind be miles away. Meditation allows the mind to reflect on events as they pop in during worship, adoration of the Father, or times of peaceful prayer. When one allows this time purposefully at the beginning of the day, a clear mind results and an increased desire from God to love others. When I feel drained half way through the day, I know its time for quiet with my Savior again, at times ending in a peaceful nap. Here I would like to share with you what meditation does for me personally.
What Does Meditation Do?
Health and Social Benefits
Some of the benefits I find from times of meditation are joy, knowing I’m loved, washed from guilt, happiness, preventing depression and anxiety bouts, gushing love for others from my family, friends, and strangers, a desire to share my Faith, a greater desire to read the Bible, a desire to sing praise songs, overcoming temptation, forgiving others more easily, and I could go on and on.
There are numerous physical, social, and emotional healing and good than I have time to explain here but google it and you will see plenty of research including preventing heart disease, divorce, cursing at children, panic attacks, suicide, etc.
Hearing The Voice of God
The best benefit is actually hearing from God and receiving His guidance for everything small and big in life. Cool, huh?
“I am writing these things to warn you about those who are trying to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know and what he teaches is true it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowships with Christ.” (1 John 2:26-27).
This is the most important part of me as a spiritual being and may be a big reason why so many people feel so screwed up in spite of their faith in God. We think we are balanced in life. We are educated and know that we are spiritual, emotional, social, and physical beings. But, we fill the spiritual spot with church, prayer, and Bible without the quiet hearing that is necessary to be guided in all of those religious activities.
Deeper Meaning To All Spiritual Activity
Without mediation my religious activities became habitual empty rituals because, as said in 1 John 2:27, our teaching should be dependent on fellowship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Without this, I become an empty life, who has activity but no power, love, or connection to the source. Could this be why so many are not satisfied with church these days? Could it be that many are looking for spirituality in the wrong place? I don’t know.
Effectively Manage My Time In Light Of The Word
This was me. I use to think of Enoch as an Old Testament figure which could not exist today. Moses not having a busy schedule of meetings so of course he had 40 days. David was but must have had plenty of time extra time to mediate and write what he heard from God. But, how many pages can I fill with what I heard from God personally? Am I busier than these men? Is it not possible to “pray without ceasing?” If it is, how many people do I know who do? Once I contemplated these excuses, it changed me.
Daily Guidance
“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Ps. 25:5) I read this verse again and again and again. I came to realize when I was living isolated without a church anywhere near me, “why do I think that all guidance is going to come from a preacher on Sunday? Should I depend on the outside world and church to feed me when God asked me to feed myself? All day long? How do I do that and work, raise kids, and attend to my social schedule? After meeting many saints today, I came to realize that many people are living this verse each day. Sacrificing their time to define spirituality how the Bible defines it and not the culture around them. With this and many other verses in mind, I had to ask myself, am I balanced spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially? Was my church activity mainly social or spiritual enough to sustain me daily? Don’t get me wrong, church is awesome but became even better when I was hearing from God through meditation.
Confidence
Mostly I can know with confidence that I will have His presence in my life of transition. Often I feel scared not knowing where we will live in a year, my kids education, whether I will suffer from depression or anxiety again. But knowing that I will have meditation to sit with God and be guided by Him, calms these fears of the future and helps put in perspective His sovereignty and my submission to Him.
Mediation = freedom of stress for my future, clarity of mind, confidence that cannot be gained elsewhere.
It’s thoughts like these that changed me and helped me practice meditation on God as a key to spiritually walking in His power, seeing amazing miracles, and answered prayers. Hearing His voice is more beautiful than a waterfall flowing at its height. His voice is almost musical and touches every sense. It cannot easily be transitioned into words.
I would rather live 1 day in His presence than 1,000 days elsewhere and can say that without hesitation. Which brings me up to the last point in the discussion of benefits:
What spiritual aspect do I think is most important to pass on to my children?
With the next generation dropping out of the church scene faster than they graduate from high school, parents need to decide what they will pass on to their children. We all know that passing on church itself without change in the home is disaster but I think we need to take it even deeper.
Our kids need to know how to receive from God guidance, godly wisdom, protection through temptation, a hand to carry them through their hurts that will meet them wherever they are spiritually and physically.
This is why meditation will always be important to me and priority to teach to my family. I would love to hear from you and your experiences!
If you missed Part 1 of this series the link is here: Meditation As The Foundation Of My Spiritual Walk: Part 1
Continue to follow for the final part of the series on meditation: How mediation can make all aspects of your spiritual walk more significant.
A Coffee with Friends 
A lovely read! I found it to be much more informative than the usual ‘meditation relaxes you and has health benefits’ sort of articles. Thought provoking and inspiring! Well done x)
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Thank you. I went for painfully vulnerable 😬😊 on this series! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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