Meditation for My Mind

When my mind wanders, it naturally drifts to worries. Even if some of these thoughts are or could be labeled problem solving, my brain is working over time wondering, planning, managing, and it's all just too much. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be like this. We were meant to depend on God not try to fix everything with our limited knowledge. We've imagined that knowledge at our fingertips (internet) can take the place of wisdom that comes from God alone.

In my critical thinking to solve things I can become, well, critical. It's not my intent but in trying to manage, I can tend to dissect things. Though it is second nature for a mom and really well practiced for me, it's not what I am supposed to be consumed with. It's not really what my thoughts should revolve around. Yes, we sometimes do need to be problem solvers, but some problems aren't mine to solve. God wants to occupy more space in my thoughts - and He should. Romans 8 tells us that to set the mind on the flesh brings death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. When we practice focusing our thoughts, setting our mind on God we get life and peace. Sign me up!

I wish Paul had also given us a couple of sentences about the ability to reset when my thoughts go awry. I guess he did in Romans 12:2 when he instructs us to renew our minds. The prefix re indicating that it needs to be done again and again. Repitition builds habits.

I've been reading Romans 8 all summer. Over and Over and Over. I come back to it at night. It's become so familiar, that the phrases are starting to come out naturally when I pray. I think this is key to how we set our mind on the Spirit for life and peace. We have to be familiar with scripture to set our mind on it.

Why don't we do this more with scripture. We never just sit in it. We try to read through books not into them. Mark Batterson said in a sermon once that in his reading through the Bible he realized that "I am not just trying to get through the Bible, I'm trying to get the Bible through me". We can read through the Bible cover to cover and still miss what God wants to do in us. God's word is activated through application. One of the first steps of application is praying through God's words. Prayer activates that truth and sets it free to work in our lives for transformation. God calls us to meditate on His word day and night (Psalm 1:2 and Joshua 1:8). The purpose is not to check it off our list, but to incorporate it into our daily lives, to focus on it.

This is an invitation to try this theory out. I am going to read Romans 8 for the next 8 days. I challenge you to pray through it with me. Notice I didn't just say read through it. I want you to see for yourself what happens when you meditate on scripture and pray it into action instead of just consume it. Repetition builds connection.

If you decide to join me in this challenge I'll send you a prayer map through Romans 8 with suggested highlights to pray from each day. It will drop in your inbox on Sunday, just in time for you to start Monday morning. To be clear we will read Romans 8 every day. You can read half in the morning and half at night, some at your lunch break, whatever you want. Go wild! Read and reread and see if things don't start to jump out at you.