In Christian meditation, we are re-aligning ourselves vertically. We're remapping our horizontal realities with a vertical view/perspective. Enabling us to embody that vertical perspective replaces anxiety and tension with a calm confidence.
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Our brain is amazing. One of the amazing things about it that neurologists are only learning these past few years is how it is constantly changing its hardwiring to adapt to our behavior. What we see, what we say, the thoughts we allow ourselves to envision, repeated behaviors we do — is all creating new hardwiring in our brain. It’s interesting that the new testament even says this in Romans 12:2 when Paul talks about how the renewing of our mind is what transforms our lives. And when we understand the imagery we see in the Bible like in the Psalms, it seems clear that one way we renew our minds is to imagine biblical realities as realities in our life. Christian meditation is a way for us to use our biblically guided imagination to see biblical realities with the eyes of our heart as Paul says in Ephesians 1:17.
Acts 6:3 NIV
…Full of the Spirit and wisdom.
Wisdom: Understanding the complex realities of living inside God’s universe. Understands the foolishness of the way people and culture try to create and live in an unreal universe. Understands how to apply the reality of who God is and what he promises in Jesus, to the challenges and opportunities in this Gen 3 world.
James 3:17 (ESV)
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Acts 6:5 NIV
…Full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.
Faith: Not just believing the right things but remembering to believe what is true of God, and all he is for us in Jesus, in how we see and respond to each circumstance in our life. Having a calm confidence instead of an anxious presence.
Acts 6:8 NIV
…Full of God’s grace and power.
Grace: A humility and joy by knowing the riches of God’s grace toward me and therefore a kind graciousness toward others.
Power: God’s power in overcoming evil in my own life and in helping others overcome evil in their lives.
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Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack.
This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.