{"id":813,"date":"2011-06-17T05:35:37","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T09:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=813"},"modified":"2011-06-15T10:48:14","modified_gmt":"2011-06-15T14:48:14","slug":"eliminating-stress-meditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/06\/eliminating-stress-meditation.html","title":{"rendered":"Eliminating Stress–Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>One of the things which keeps all of us tied into granny knots is stress. \u00a0Of course, we cannot live without stress. \u00a0It is the fuel that keeps us moving forward with purpose and energy. \u00a0Normal stress is not sin. \u00a0However, too much stress is as unhealthy as obesity. \u00a0It can damage your heart and mind. \u00a0Stress is the direct result of many automobile and household accidents. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most powerful tools in our personal arsenal against stress is the age-old discipline of Christian meditation. \u00a0Because this discipline has been transformed by the New Age Movement and the insurgence of Hinduism into Western Culture, Christians have all but eliminated this valuable practice. \u00a0In reality, Christian meditation is different from the Hindu practice.<\/p>\n

Rick Warren, the author of the best-selling book The Purpose Drive Life<\/em> (Zondervan) writes,\u00a0“No other habit can do more to transform your life and make you more like Jesus than daily reflection on Scripture\u2026If you look up all the times God speaks about meditation in the Bible, you will amazed at the benefits He has promised to those who take the time to reflect on His Word throughout the day”<\/p>\n

Warren continues, “Christian “meditation is\u00a0focused<\/em> thinking. It takes serious effort. You select a verse and reflect on it over and over in your mind…if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate.” \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The most recommended form of Christian meditation which has been practiced since the fourth century is\u00a0Lectio divina. <\/em>Don’t be stumped by the Latin. \u00a0The translation \u00a0is “sacred reading.”<\/p>\n

There are \u00a0four simple stages:\u00a0lectio<\/em> (reading),\u00a0meditatio<\/em> (discursive meditation),\u00a0oratio<\/em> (affective prayer), and\u00a0contemplatio<\/em> (contemplation). In the reading <\/em>stage, we find a passage and read it deliberately. I love Psalm 1 and often meditate on this great passage. \u00a0I meditate on and I’ve memorized the ten commandments.<\/p>\n

The next stage is discursive meditation, \u00a0Here, \u00a0we ponder or think about the text. Discursive thinking is relaxed and rambling, yet rational thinking. \u00a0Literally, allow your mind to casually play with the scriptures much the way a kitten plays with a ball of string. \u00a0 While eliminating irrational elements introduced by your mind, enjoy the process of examining all the prospects of the verse or verses.<\/p>\n

In the affective prayer stage, talk to God about the verse. \u00a0Ask \u00a0Him to reveal the truths found in the Scripture.<\/p>\n

In the final,\u00a0contemplation stage, we simply rest in the Lord’s presence.<\/p>\n

While Christian leaders such as Beth Moore, Jim Downing, Thomas Merton and Joni Tada encourage meditation in their writings, the Bible also mentions meditate or meditation 20 times. \u00a0In the Old Testament, two Hebrew the words used Haga<\/em> and Sihach<\/em>. \u00a0Haga<\/em>, meaning \u00a0to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder. \u00a0\u00a0Sihach<\/em>, means to muse, rehearse in one’s mind, or contemplate. The translation of these words can also be dwell, diligently consider, and heed.<\/p>\n

In Joshua 1:8,\u00a0God, instructs us to meditate on day and night on His word so we will obey it. \u00a0The psalmist says “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the things which keeps all of us tied into granny knots is stress. \u00a0Of course, we cannot live without stress. \u00a0It is the fuel that keeps us moving forward with purpose and energy. \u00a0Normal stress is not sin. \u00a0However, too much stress is as unhealthy as obesity. \u00a0It can damage your heart and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,40,61,10,151,85,12,4,152,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-humor","category-inspirational","category-meditation","category-prayer-2","category-religion","category-simple-truths","category-stress","category-teaching"],"yoast_head":"\nEliminating Stress-Meditation - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/06\/eliminating-stress-meditation.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eliminating Stress-Meditation - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the things which keeps all of us tied into granny knots is stress. \u00a0Of course, we cannot live without stress. \u00a0It is the fuel that keeps us moving forward with purpose and energy. \u00a0Normal stress is not sin. \u00a0However, too much stress is as unhealthy as obesity. \u00a0It can damage your heart and…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/06\/eliminating-stress-meditation.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-06-17T09:35:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-06-15T14:48:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/06\/Picture-064-300x225.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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