As a faith-founded ministry that partners with other agencies, we have had others suggest meditation practices focusing on a variety of things, but we prefer to assist our students in focusing on scripture and “things above”…… the attributes and character of God, the love of Christ, the presence and Peace of the Holy Spirit.
This article from the Biblical Counseling Coalition on August 8th is a good overview.
Meditation Isn’t Missing… It’s Just Misdirected
by Kim Kira
“Biblical counseling is the demanding yet indispensable exercise of joint meditation on biblical truth. Meditation, most simply, means to think deeply about something. Passages like Psalm 1 show us that meditating on biblical truth is essential to standing firm and bearing fruit, so walking faithfully with a counselee involves helping them meditate on truth during the counseling session and beyond to the rest of the week. However, while we may recognize the importance of thinking deeply through Scripture in a counseling session, we might not realize that the challenge of meditation is often that for the rest of the week, it is not missing—it is misdirected.
We Will Set Our Minds Somewhere
In Colossians 3, as he does in many of his other letters, Paul transitions from the realities of the gospel in chapters 1-2 to how that gospel works itself out in everyday life in chapters 3-4. But before he gives commands like “put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (v. 5) and “put off the old self…put on the new self” (v. 9), he starts with our thought life: “Set your mind on things above” (v. 2). It is an encouragement to meditate on the things of Christ.
Now importantly, Paul doesn’t end his sentence there. He continues, “Set your mind on things that are above, NOT on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2, emphasis added). Do you see the contrast? We are going to “set our minds” somewhere. We will direct our focus, affections, faith, and worship somewhere—either on the things above or on the things of earth.
This is significant for at least a couple of reasons. First, we are always thinking about something. We often picture meditation as only happening during quiet times, but in reality, we are constantly thinking deeply about things. This means that meditation isn’t just about our devotional life but our everyday life. Second, there are primarily two objects of our meditation—the things above or the things below. Therefore, a better question to ask those we counsel is not just “Are you meditating?” but “What are you meditating on?” The answer to that question will either fuel their faith in and worship of Christ or their faith in and worship of their idols.
Spiritual Math
For example, imagine a man who struggles with anger and bitterness toward his wife. They fight often, and it has become a cold marriage with little affection. He frequently thinks of how he would have gotten a divorce long ago if he wasn’t a Christian. Often in these situations, we focus on what he can do when they fight. We give lessons on things like battling their anger or selfishness. We might offer some biblical communication and conflict-resolution skills.
But something I have seen is that the biggest problem isn’t always what the couple does when they are together, but when they are apart. It would not be surprising if this man has spent months—even years—meditating on the sins and failings of his wife. If this is true, should we be surprised that he is angry and bitter? Of course not. It’s basic spiritual math—maybe 15 minutes in the morning meditating on Scripture, but countless hours meditating on his wife’s sins and failings throughout the day. What will win that battle? Regardless of what their quiet time looked like in the morning, they have spent much more time meditating on their idols. It’s like they are doing personal devotions in bitterness, so we should not be surprised that their love and devotion for their idols are deepened.
Redirecting Meditation
Misdirected meditation affects our struggles not only with anger and bitterness but also worry, lust, covetousness, depression, impatience, fear, and a myriad of other issues. So what do we need to do? Beyond encouraging meditation during quiet times, two things can be very helpful.
First, help counselees to be aware of the danger of misdirected meditation. They need to realize the danger to their heart that comes from setting their mind on things of earth. Often, they won’t even realize how much time they dwell on the things of the world.
Second, give them meaningful and memorable truths to turn to when they are tempted toward misdirected meditation. For instance, if a man is tempted to dwell on the sins and shortcomings of his wife, you might encourage him to meditate on the gospel and how we need forgiveness (Matt. 18:15-35), on the patience and love of God (Ps. 86:15), or on how we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). The key is to have truth ready to turn to so that they can set their mind on things above.
We must realize that all of life is an exercise in ongoing meditation. The question is what we will meditate on. Let’s love those we counsel well by encouraging them to set their mind on things above, not on things of earth.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you ask those you counsel what they are meditating on (not just if they are meditating)?
- How can you encourage meditation on biblical truth as a constant exercise in faith and worship and not something limited to quiet times?
- As a counselor, when you get discouraged, are you diligent in setting your mind on things above?”