What is meditation and is it a sin in christianity?.
Are you experiencing a rise in stress levels in 2022? If yes, you might have noticed yourself participating in activities to reduce stress, such for drinking the tea of chamomile, or relaxing in long, calming bubble baths.
Maybe you’ve thought about practicing meditation. This practice has been proven scientifically to lower stress levels but it’s also connected to New Age practices and eastern religions.
This is the reason Christians frequently ask whether meditation is a sin? It is it just a safe method to bring stillness in your day-to-day routine?
What is meditation?
In July of 2018 a group of teenage players from a soccer club in Thailand were missing for a number of days. When they were rescued in a cave because of monsoon rains world was at the on the edge of their seats in hopes and prayer that the risky rescue succeed.
After the boys miraculously saved and restored to health, the public started asking questions regarding how the boys were able to survive both physically and mentally within the cave. What was their response?
That’s right–meditation. Their guide who was there inside the cave was trained as an Buddhist monk. He led them through these practices.
The practice usually involves emptying the mind and focusing the entire body upon a certain idea. Mantras are often repeated–specifically sounds or phrases that claim what one wishes to claim, such as happiness. Many people also use techniques of visualization while they meditate to help manifest the life they want to live.
What is the reason for this practice? Simply put it is a way to enter the state of complete relaxation. It is perhaps the main reason people prefer to meditate. These are some other benefits proven:
* It decreases stress and depression.
* It fosters compassion and kindness towards others.
* It helps one get more connected in touch with one’s “inner self” more attune to their inner self.
* It improves focus.
Sounds harmless, right? Not only innocent, but maybe life-saving in the situation of the boys who were trapped in the cave.
The fruit in the Garden of Eden looked pretty innocent for Adam and Eve as well, until they realized the extent to which it was.
Are Meditation Biblical?
It’s fascinating to see how the world–the enemy often tries to clone things that are biblical. The reason why he copies God is that it is his desire to be like him. Isn’t that the way God became”the fallen angel? (See Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14.)
One of these attempts to counterfeiting, as I’m convinced is through meditation. Since, believe it or not, the Bible actually has plenty to speak regarding meditation.
The only difference is that it’s different than the one in the world.
Meditation can be beneficial for physical and mental health. So if this is true, aren’t you aware that the biblical meditation can be more beneficial than the copycats of the world?
Checkout:
- is overeating a sin: Scripture About Gluttony
- 50 Promising Scriptural Verses About God Being With Us Always
- 20 Inspiring Bible verses About God Power and Strength
The reason that meditation reduces stress levels is because it is a method of ignoring all thoughts and staying in a state of trance while focusing about positivity. Because our minds are connected to our body, it’s not a surprise that this type of meditation can lower your heart rate. In the end, Proverbs 23:7 declares , “For as he thinks in his heart, similarly is his body.”
It is true that the Bible does not disbelieve in the power of thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 requires us to take note of “rebellious thoughts and instruct that they must obey Christ.” This implies that we, actually, have control over our thoughts in this way. It is biblical to keep our thoughts in a notebook.
It is also a biblical requirement to be in the state of stillness. In Psalm 46:10, God calls that we should ” Be still, and be aware God is God!” The word “know” employed in this verse signifies that we must be in the presence of God by focusing our thoughts as well as our will and emotions upon Him.
According to Isaiah 26:3 We can find the value of keeping our eyes focused on Christ: “You keep him in complete peace with his mind fixed on you because the man trusts in you.”
We are also encouraged by Philippians 4:8, to consider about praiseworthy thoughts: “And now, dear friends and sisters, there is one last thing. Concentrate your thoughts to what is right as well as honorable and just and pure, and beautiful and admirable. Look at things that are beautiful and worthy of praise. .”
In the previous verse, “fix your thoughts” seems a lot similar to meditation, don’t you think? You might be even surprised to learn that the Bible employs the term “meditate” especially in a variety of instances, but it’s never stated that we should contemplate our flesh.
In contrast, Joshua 1:8 says, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Recite it every all day and night to ensure that you’ll be certain to follow the instructions contained in it. Only then can you be successful and be successful in everything you accomplish. .”
The Word of God is living. Thoughts may be strong however Hebrews 4:12 explains that “the Word of God is active and alive. It is more powerful than any double-edged weapon It penetrates to divide soul and joint and marrow. It also examines the thoughts and attitudes from the hearts.”
When we implement Joshua 1:8 by contemplating the Scripture I am in no doubt that the results will be far more beneficial to our mental and physical well-being than a world-wide meditation.
Biblical meditation is also a good way to meditate in the presence of God Himself. The Psalm of 63:6 states, “ My soul will be content by delicious and rich food, and my mouth will sing your praises with joyous lips when I will remember you on my bed, and ponder on you during the hours in the evening.”
We are able to meditate on God’s ways, too since Psalm 119:15 says, “I will meditate on your rules and keep my gaze on your methods.” Also, David as he wrote in Psalm 145:5, decided in Psalm 145:5, to “meditate on your magnificent magnificence, glory and amazing marvels.”
If we’re overwhelmed with the chaos and stress of daily life, we can be like David when he composed the Psalms of 121, 1-2:
“I am lifting my eyes to the mountains. Where is my assistance coming from? My help is from God Creator of earth and heaven.”
The method of raising our eyes towards God requires us to turn our eyes away from the stress of our lives and focusing them on our Creator He is the one who enables us to take on our challenges. God doesn’t want us concentrate on the troubles of our lives. This is apparent from 2 Corinthians 4:18:
“So we don’t think about the problems we observe right now; instead, we focus our eyes on things that aren’t perceived. Because the things we are seeing today will soon disappear and the things we don’t have the ability to see will remain for ever .”
Do you think it is dangerous to meditate?
1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “Be vigilant and sober. The devil’s adversaries prowl about like a roaring beast looking for someone to take on .”
If we shut out our minds and aren’t devoted to Christ but are instead fixated on our own self and our flesh, I believe that we’re opening ourselves to danger. We must, after all, be “sober-minded,” and we are aware that from John 10:10 that the thieves “comes solely to steal, murder and cause destruction.”
It’s fascinating how the secular practice of meditation has embraced the principles that is laid by Psalm 45:10 However, instead of recognizing the truth that “I are God,” they have focused their awareness to the inside instead of being self-conscious instead of God-conscious. I believe that this is demon due to the fact that the Bible clearly states that we will be a slave to our flesh ( Romans 8:13). We also recognize that the hearts of our souls are “deceitful above all else, and are terribly in need of treatment” ( Jeremiah 17:9).
Furthermore, Romans 8: 7 tells us “the mind focused upon the body is opposed towards God.”
Is Meditation an offense?
Was it sinful to Eve to fall into the trap that the serpent created for her?
Genesis 3:3 states that even before Eve was caught in this trap, Eve was aware that it was wrong to consume this forbidden fruit. She even tried to explain this to the serpent but the serpent manipulated her into questioning God’s order.
It was a matter of debate the possibility that eating forbidden fruit was sinful led to the fall.
When Eve was victimized by her sins She blamed the serpent, saying that he had tricked her (see Genesis 20:12). We know the cause of her fall resulted from Eve’s heraction. She took the decision to fall into the trap laid by the enemy.
This is the reason we need to learn about God’s Word from inside out. This way, we will be able to discern the attack from the enemy whenever we encounter one. We are told that he will keep trying to “deceive all the of the world” until the time of death (see Revelation 12:9). He will make us ask, “Does the Bible actually declare this?”
How can we tell whether it is a sin to meditate? is considered a sin, or whether it’s appropriate in the hands of Christians to engage in meditation in the same way that oriental religions use it?
We will review the various reasons people decide to meditate (as previously discussed). By doing this, we realize that the primary reason is that it promotes peace, tranquility, happiness awareness, security, and peace as well as the best way to achieve physical desires (such as money). Meditation is the process of the entire body’s attention to the idea or concept we are contemplating that is a priority in our minds and in our emotions for the duration of time, until it can be achieved.
It sounds a lot similar to worship believe?
As children of God We should be aware than to look for anything that is not from God which promises peace as well as security and joy. It is better not to orient our whole lives around anything other than the God who sacrificed His life for us , because it is through Him that we can find everything that we seek.
In reality, it was the desire to seek wisdom in something different from God that first lured Eve to sin. Genesis 3:6 says, “She saw that the tree was beautiful and the fruit was delicious, and she was eager to gain the wisdom it would impart to her. Then she ate a portion pieces of fruit, and consumed it. the fruit .”
It’s a sad thought if you consider it! Eve could have found complete satisfaction along with wisdom from her relationship with God Yet she chose the fruit that ultimately led to her demise.
Matthew 6:33 says that we should “seek initially the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God and all the rest will be added to your life.” It’s only in God’s presence that real happiness, peace and peace that lasts forever can be found. Psalm 16:11 says,
“You will teach me the best way to live, granting me the pleasure of your presence as well as the joys of being with you for the rest of my life.”
Instead of asking “Is meditation considered a sin?” let’s instead ask, “Am I hoping to get something from this experience that is only available in Christ? Does this practice require me focusing my whole attention on something I want instead of the One who is the source of all blessings ( Psalm 103)?”
If we can answer yes, then it’s probable that meditation is in reality an idol. 1 John 5:21 advises us to “keep clear of anything that could take God’s place in your heart.”
As the children of God We must be aware of the Word of God so that we can identify when the world is trying to lure us. We must be aware of the warning Paul offers us in Colossians 2:8:
“See to that nobody holds you for a ride with untruthful and false philosophical doctrines, which are based on human traditions and the fundamental spiritual forces in the world.of this world instead of Christ.” Christ.”
The chaos of the world is often unbearable, and our bodies weren’t designed to carry the weight of these heavy burdens. This is why those who do not recognize Christ seek peace or restoration and joy! We’re simply not able to handle life using our own ability.
However that this is why Christ sacrificed His life to save us. His life-giving power within us is able to equip us to deal with the rigors of daily life (see John 15) and, without Him we’re absolutely nothing ( John 15:4-5). We are privileged to “gaze on the beauty in the eyes of our Lord”( Psalm 27:4) throughout the remainder of our lives, and even to the end of time.
Corrie Ten Boom could not have put it better when she stated,
“If you stare at the world around you, your heart will be aching. If you focus on yourself then you’ll feel down. If you focus on God you’ll feel calm and peaceful.”
I can’t think of any one who merits more attention in attention.
