Meditation a Means of Silencing the Mind

The Body is incredibly noisy. Yet it is the bridge from the seen world to the unseen world. We cannot ignore the body though throughout ages it has been. Today anything related to the body can make headlines: tabloids sensationalize news about celebrities and their physiques, discussions on health care permeate our airwaves, diets galore bombard us, and fitness buffs tout their horns. We wonder what will they come up next.

Meditation a Means of Silencing the Mind

I like to think that the head quarters for the body is the mind. I think many of us would agree that the mind is extremely loquacious, chattering unceasingly even when we are a sleep. The ability to shape the mind is what determines the quality and quantity of life we attain. The Bible instructs us to renew our minds. This ancient book is the greatest book of positive thinking and thus transformation. Meditation is a form of quieting the mind, but meditating on God’s words not only silences the mind but also transforms it as we attain spiritual acuity to hear from God. The believer who is destined to achieve the promises in the Book and to please God aligns his or her thoughts with the Word of God. Thoughts become subjected to the living Word of God.

Fasting a Means of Silencing the Body

Although the mind is like the rudder of a ship, we know the body can fight for control. This struggle is evident in cancer patients, for example. Though any sickness can be likened to cancer, many cancer patients have fought the disease by changing their thinking from death to life. The practice of fasting is a also a discipline to quiet the body. Some foods can goad the body in becoming noisy. The popular culprit here is sugar. In general, processed foods, especially sugars, can throw the body out of alignment. Insulin levels increase, then suddenly blood sugar levels drop, creating feelings of anxiety, fatigue and irritability for some. To those parents and teachers a tune, we know this sign all too well in the child who becomes distracted and restless after a sugar loaded meal. Similarly, these foods can also distract us from hearing from God clearly. And even when we pull away from food, generally, our bodies will continue to talk, silencing only when our stomachs receive food or accept the fact that they will not receive any.

Once we are able to quiet our minds and bodies through meditation and fasting a path to hear God is freed from debris and other obstacles. Both meditation and fasting require discipline. They should not be used as means to attain what we want from God but should be used as pathways to commune with Him more deeply.