The Well-dressed Christian

I would love to hear some feedback , pro or con, about how you are finding this month's discipline of memorization and meditation. This week's verse has to do with the way we relate to one another. As anyone who has been married quickly finds out, love means always having to say you're sorry. And forgiving over and over again. Of course not just your spouse but anyone who offends us or whom we offend. This is a major way that we can imitate Jesus.

Colossians 3:12 (TNIV)
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Things Above

This week's verse is Colossians 3:1-4 (TNIV). "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

There are similarities in these verses with last week's--contrasting earthly things and "things above"/"transformed" thinking. What exactly are those "things above" that we are advised to focus on? What does it mean that our lives are hidden with Christ?

Prosperity and Success

When Moses died the leadership of the Israelites passed to Joshua. As God commissioned him, he gave him this advise: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8) This formula for success: meditation + obedience = success, stands glaringly in opposition to the pattern of this world, which we are told (in Rom. 12:1-2) not to conform to, and which involves such things as greed, lust, power plays, and seeking one's own comfort and entertainment first.

I wonder what would have happened if those people involved in Ponzi schemes had meditated on God's Word for the past ten years instead of focusing on greed. Or if the financial and business people who are still demanding their incredible annual bonuses were instead to ask for paid time to meditate on and obey God's Word. Or what if I were to stop incessantly asking God to bless me and instead start asking him to use me in some sacrificial way of his choosing. What would prosperity and success look like?

Hard Work

Several people commented to me at church that they had tried to memorize last week's verses and found it pretty hard. I definitely agree. Spiritual disciplines by definition are hard. One person said it was easier for her to memorize scripture if it was set to music. So I tried to sing this week's verse to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" which made me laugh, but didn't do much else. If anyone can come up with a tune for today's verse, you get a gold star.

This week's verse is Romans 12:1,2 (TNIV): Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

There's a lot here to meditate on. For example:

• What about offering our bodies to God makes it true worship? Isn't singing songs of praise to God true worship?
• What is "the pattern of this world"?
• How does "the renewing of your mind" take place? Does God do it or do I do it?
  
• How will a renewed mind make me able to test and approve God's will?
  

I'm sure you can think of some others. So give it another try this week and eventually you will find that the fruit you harvest is worth the hard work.

Think on These Things

How's the meditation going? For me, it feels like the phrase "God is for us" is exactly what my heart needs to hear.

I came across this tool for meditation: questions that can be asked about the verses that you are meditating on to help direct your thinking.

Philippians 4:8 Questions

What is true about this, or what truth does it exemplify?
What is honorable about this?
What is right about this?
What is pure about this, or how does it exemplify purity?
What is lovely about this?
What is admirable, commendable, or reputation-strengthening about this?
What is excellent about this (i.e. excels others of this kind)?
What is praiseworthy about this?

source: http://biblicalspirituality.org/sbts.html

Memorizing and Meditating on Scripture

Here it is March and time to add a new discipline: memorizing and meditating on Scripture. Every week we will have a couple verses to work on. This week it's Romans 8:31-32: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

The author of Psalm 119 has some interesting things to say about meditation. He says, "Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me." If you think about "enemies" as those things that attack our souls, they could include fear, anger, depression, greed, lust, pride and a bunch of other things. What are your enemies that meditation could give you wisdom over?