It was a Christian class on public speaking and the teacher began leading the class in an eastern meditation practice meant to calm one’s nerves. “Close your eyes,” she began, “and think only about your toes. Your toes, then your feet… Empty your mind.” At this point I’d had it, opened my eyes and asked loudly, “Is it okay if instead of emptying my mind I took every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?” Instead of relaxation, tension filled the room but everyone understood what was happening and what was at stake.

When we talk about “thinking-biblically” we mean doing so in every area of your life. There is a form of meditation that Christians can participate in, but it is far removed from the Eastern practices. If you have been involved in forms like the one my instructor was trying to teach, it’s time to make a change; replace a practice found nowhere in the Bible with one that is explicitly taught and encouraged. Paul instructed the church of Corinth:

For the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. –Second Corinthians 10.4-6

This passage is often quoted in discussions about evangelism and apologetics, but this is the wrong context. Paul is teaching believers how to war against incorrect thinking to be sure, but its their own incorrect thinking, not others’. There are strongholds in our life that are damaging to us, arguments we hold to that aren’t biblical, teachings that keep us distant from God. How do we overcome? By taking every thought captive and bringing all things in our heart and our head obedient to Jesus. How do we do this?

To understand how to meditate we must understand what meditation really is. It is not emptying one’s mind, nor is it opening ourselves to nature. The root of the Greek word for meditation means “to give attention to,” which is the opposite of most worldly forms of meditation. We are to give attention, but to what? Certainly not to ourselves, our problems, or even to our own happiness. We are to turn our attention to God, his character and his teachings. Deuteronomy 6.6-9 tell us,

These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.

So the teachings of God about God and our relationship to him are the subject of Christian meditation.

Secondly, we do this in stillness. Psalm 46.10 is best known as reading “Be still and know that I am God,” but a fuller translation states, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!” We see in the New Testament that Jesus frequently goes to a quiet place to pray and seek communion with the Father. Find a time and a place where you can be free of distraction and be still while focusing on the teachings of God. Years ago I found a storage room at my place of work that was little used. It was the perfect place to take a break from the distractions and pray and meditate. Even if its only 10 minutes, it is a practice that makes a difference in one’s relationship with God.

What teachings of God should we meditate on? That’s really up to you. It could be a Bible passage that you don’t understand and you need time to deconstruct it and learn what it teaches us about our Lord. It may be a passage you don’t like because it presents a picture of God that makes you uncomfortable. Try to understand why it makes you feel that way, and make those feelings obedient to Christ. It may be a passage you need, like Jesus’ teaching on the fruitlessness of worry. Whatever you choose, that passage is your focus. It is all you are paying attention to. Let the passage lead you and conform to its proper teaching.