Most of us live life at 900 miles per hour. There is very little margin in our lives to slow down and process. The demands of work, family, and cultural pressure are intense. Therefore, the word meditate can sound foreign, at best, if not wasteful.
Who has time to meditate? Maybe someone with an Eastern religious bend that worships at the altar of self-actualization. But life is too short and the opportunities to numerous for Christians to mediate, right?
As we search the Bible, meditation is more common and expected by God that one may imagine. On a recent trip to Israel, I discovered that one group takes the meditative posture as extremely important. Approximately 10,000 people come daily to the Western (aka Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem. I made two visits to the site while I was there and observed the phenomenal devotion displayed. People prayed, read the Torah, and sang Jewish worship songs. Prayerful meditation was the norm.
As leaders, we must recognize that our fast pace can be a great hindrance to our walk with Christ. He often invites us to stop and mediate. The problem is that I can be too wrapped up in my own stride and time management plan to hear His voice. Times of meditation are critical to growth as a leader and a follower of Jesus.
Consider a few passages:
“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.” Joshua 1:8
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16
Christ-following leaders must prepare for and set aside time to meditate on God’s Word, connect with Him in prayer, and reflect upon the Lord’s grace. While meditating on His Word, we should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin in our lives. We should also ask that the Spirit would lead us as we lead His people. Instead of rationalizing that we have too little time to pause for meditation, we should arrange our day where moments to pause are set aside.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
Shepherding Well 