Toward a More Meditative Life

Quiet.

No, that's not an exclamated command of "Quiet!" at you. Rather, it is an offer, a place noun, hopefully an expression of a desire that you have. You need, and I need, quiet in our lives.

We do not live in a time that encourages quietness and meditation. As Thomas Friedman, columnist for the The New York Times, said, “We have gone from the Iron Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age to the Age of Interruption.” Indeed, we live with the constant interruptions of beeps, blinks, and buzzes. They tell us now the average American spends more than half their days in front of a screen. We are not just interrupted; we are self-interrupted.

As you read the Scriptures, you find that the life of the believer is described typically as one that is peaceful and meditative (see Psalms 1:1-3; 4:8; 85:8 for a few examples). The frantic rush and distraction of the modern age is contrary to the singleminded devotion the Lord encourages in the life of his followers. My youngest daughter actually reminded me of this truth further yesterday as we had a sweet Sabbath discussion. She is reading a book by A.W. Tozer that has a short biography in the beginning. She told me how he loved solititude and personal worship, and how that gave him zeal for God. That's a lesson we all need to hear.

So how do we create a meditative life? Mark described our Lord's life during a busy ministry period in this way: "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35). Based on His example, here are five one-word suggestions, whispered quietly into your ear to encourage you in this direction. Read More