Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
Over the past two days we’ve been discussing the topic of renewing the mind. We’ve talked about how getting to know God better and finding out who He has created you to be changes how you think, feel and act.
Today we’re going to discuss one of the most powerful tools you can use to renew your mind: meditation on God’s Word. Meditation is the missing link for many Christians. You see, we can read our Bibles, pray and go to church, but without meditation, nothing much changes.
Let’s pretend you struggle with insecurity. Naturally, you’ll look for evidence to justify your feelings. You’ll ask yourself why you’re so insecure, and then your brain will answer that question. You might think that you’re too short, too fat, too thin, not smart enough or people don’t like you, and that’s why you’re justified in feeling insecure.
This creates a repetitive cycle. You feel insecure, focus on things that make you feel insecure, then feel more insecure. As a result, you begin to live in a state of insecurity.
You may pray for God to take the insecurity away, but if you still struggle, you’ll wonder why. Meanwhile, God hasn’t let you down. You just haven’t renewed your mind.
Tomorrow we’ll walk through a practical example to demonstrate how to meditate. To prepare, think about an area in your life that causes you to struggle. Have you accepted that struggle as a part of who you are? Has living in that state become normal to you? If so, it’s time to renew your mind!