Christian Meditation: Focusing on God’s Word

Many questions come to us about the practice of meditation.

While the outward appearance and technique of Christian meditation and eastern meditation may be similar, there are profound differences in the object and purpose of our meditation.

Richard Foster explains the difference very clearly in his classic on spiritual disciplines, Celebration of Discipline:

“Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind. The two ideas are quite different. Eastern forms of meditation stress the need to become detached from the world. There is an emphasis on losing personhood and individuality and merging with the Cosmic Mind. There is a longing to be freed from the burden and pains of this life and to be released into the impersonality of Nirvana. Personal identity is lost and, in fact, personality is seen as the ultimate illusion. There is no escaping from the miserable wheel of existence. There is no God to be attached to or to hear from. Detachment is the final goal of Eastern religion.

Christian meditation goes far beyond the notion of detachment…No, detachment is not enough; we must go on to attachment. The detachment from the confusion all around us is in order to have a richer attachment to God. Christian meditation leads us to the inner wholeness necessary to give ourselves to God freely.”

~Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster

Meditation on God’s word is a practice commended to Christians through out scripture. Joshua 1:8 records God instructing Joshua to “study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.”

Meditation is a key part of our Christian yoga practice and the means through which our practice is given its spiritual dimension. Through Christian meditation and contemplation we quiet our hearts and minds and we come into God’s presence, ready to listen and receive, ready to be filled with Him.