Meditation is for Monks... and You.

So you've heard about meditation... maybe in a sermon or while reading a Psalm, or maybe in a magazine (in a more "new age" context). But what IS meditation and how can you practically apply it to your daily life routine? Student Ian MacLeod gave a list of things to meditate on, reasons why to meditate, and tips  in a recent speech (he referenced a book on mediation by Thomas Watson).  

Things to meditate on:

1. God and His attributes

2. God's promises

3. The love of Christ

4. Sins

5. The vanity of this world

6. Your spiritual state

7. Grace

8. The fewness of those who are saved

9. Death

10. The day of judgement

11. Hell

13. Eternity

14. Your experiences (blessings, difficulties, temptations, help received etc.)

Why we should meditate: 

1. God commands it

2. It fulfills the reason for which God gave us the Bible (not just to learn facts)

3. Without it you can never be a godly Christian

Excuses we may have:

1. Too busy - ask yourself the question, "why am I here?" (are you just here for entertainment and to enjoy life... or are you here to please and glorify God?). Think for a minute about the word 'amusement' - it literally means 'anti-meditation-ment'

2. It's too hard

Tips:

- when's the best time? set a specific time ("sometime" is NO time!)

- how long do you spend? 5 minutes? 30 minutes? think of it this way: how long should a cold many stay by the fire? you stay until you are warmed up. "I will never come away until I've found Thee"

- have a serious posture and pray

- the quality of your thought is what is important

- don't meditate on too much at once

- read God's word before mediating

- pray afterwards

- live out your meditation