Mindfulness Plus: The Powerful Ability of Scripture Meditation to Transform

Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2, NIV

A few years ago, I was counseling a Christian teenager who was struggling with depression and an overwhelming, negative mindset. I knew he had to learn some tools to break out of this mental prison. So, over several sessions, I taught him some mindfulness techniques including Scripture meditation.

I wanted him to learn how to redirect his thoughts to those that were healthier. We practiced breathing exercises. We practiced focusing on his senses – what he could hear, see, feel or smell in the room. We tried progressive muscle relaxation. He did these exercises with me out of compliance, but did not see much effect.

Then weeks later, I had him do some journaling about a few key verses of scripture. As he shared his thoughts with me, he exclaimed, “Now that really helps!” For some reason, the Scripture meditation had given him a measure of mental relief that mere mindfulness could not.

Change is hard.

Most of us want to change. We want to grow, improve, or break patterns of thought and behavior that hinder us and our relationships. But change is difficult. Many times, we have battled the same negative thoughts or feelings for years. We try to put on a smile or be less defensive when we are criticized, but old habits die hard.

Sometimes we just try to stuff the bad feelings and do something that would make us feel better – pouring another drink, or calling in sick in order to avoid our boss. Unfortunately, the feelings are still there when we wake up the next morning.

Cognitive behavior therapy has been shown to be helpful to target our distorted thoughts that lead to many unhealthy feelings. Getting insight into what is irrational or unbalanced in our thought patterns can be helpful. However, it is common to still have those troubling thoughts continue to bounce around in our heads, despite all of our efforts to chase them out.

The likely reason for these persistent thoughts is that over time our brains have developed well-worn neurological circuits connecting old memories, negative beliefs, emotions and coping behaviors.

Like the tire ruts in a muddy country road, as much as we try to avoid it, our wheels too easily slip into what has been our pattern.

In his book, You Are Not Your Brain, UCLA researcher, Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D. proposes that in order to break free of those old ruts, we have to build new, healthy circuits. He suggests that the place to start is to consult our “wise advocate”. Schwartz defines the “wise advocate” as the part of us that aligns with our long-term goals and values. That internal voice that wants to do “the right thing”.

However, in a culture of moral relativism and radical individualism we can sometimes be confused about what the right thing is.

For a Christian, though, there is an external “wise advocate” that has been trusted as a rich source of wisdom for thousands of years – God’s written Word.

Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2, NIV

Every client who comes into my office is looking for change – change in their marriage, change in their emotions, change in their behavior.

Cognitive behavior therapy, brain science, and Scripture all agree that for permanent change, we need to do two things:

1. Stop believing and practicing the old unhealthy patterns.
2. Renew your mind with truth and practice new, healthy, patterns.

That sounds an awful lot like Romans 12:2. Many of us try to “just stop” the old patterns. However, this rarely works unless our mind is transformed to new patterns by means of Scripture meditation.

How can our mind be transformed through Scripture meditation?

Psalm 1 gives us some keys.

How blessed is the man…(who’s) delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law, he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; And its leaf does not whither; And in whatever he does he prospers. – Psalm 1:1-2, NASB

It starts by delighting in the law of the Lord.

Then out of this delighting, this man meditates on God’s Word, day and night.

What does Scripture meditation mean?

For many, the word meditation may conjure up a practice of focused detachment found in eastern religion. Others think of the popular mindfulness movement. Certainly, there is considerable mental health value of detaching from our obsessive cycles of anxious or hopeless thoughts.

However, if we don’t have something solid to attach to, we may just slip right back to the bad circuit as soon as our mindfulness practice is over.

Rather than picturing our “happy place” or focusing on a single point in space, this Biblical meditation is an intentional focus on the eternal truth of God’s Word.

When we meditate on Scripture, we are not only getting off the old road, but we are hacking through the jungle and building a new trail of beauty and truth. The more times we spend meditating on God’s ways and values, the smoother this new road becomes. This can eventually become our way of life.

The practice of meditating on God’s Word is often related to the process of a cow chewing its “cud.” Cows, of course, have an ability to get energy from the fiber in grass or hay. Humans cannot.

However, the only way that the chemical bonds in the cellulose can be broken apart and release the energy is for the straw to be chewed, chewed and swallowed, regurgitated and chewed and swallowed some more. Only by this process, along with the action of special bacteria, can the cow survive.

The Psalm 1 man or woman intentionally plants themselves by the “living water” day after day.

The transformation comes when they take the Word, memorize and meditate on it, chewing it day and night, over and over, till it works down, down to the marrow. Then, they not only know what the Word says, The Word will become a part of them. They will begin live out the Word, because it will become who they are.

One practical way to do this is to take small sections of scripture at a time, journaling about new insights and how you might to apply it to your life. Ideally, you can then share your thoughts with your spouse, friend, or small group. My wife and I do this regularly and are continually amazed at how it has helped us grow and navigate through difficult trials.

German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer took this idea of meditation on scripture a step further with his underground seminary students in World War II. He would have them meditate on the same biblical passage 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night for a whole week. Perhaps this practice is one of the reasons that his life and writings are still revered by serious followers of Christ today.

God’s Word brings conviction.

The Word of God can do a supernatural work of inner conviction and healing.

For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joint and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12, NASB

The Word of God is more than words on a page. It is spiritually inspired and spiritually empowered to expose the wickedness of the heart.

We need a daily download of God’s Word not only because it provides our “operating system”, but it is also our antivirus software that can identify the many infections that are continually worming their way into our thinking.

If we continue to come daily to the Word of God, it can show us our wrong actions, and also do a work of exposing the deeper motivations of our hearts.

Through the Word, the Spirit can convict us not only of outward sins, but the inner struggles of coveting, jealousy, bitterness, pride, lust and greed in our hearts.

God’s Word brings healing.

At the same time, the Word of God brings healing, through a revelation of God’s great love!

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV

Continual submission to the Word of God should lead us to the same profound truth that pastor and best-selling author Tim Keller taught.

“The Gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus than we ever dare hoped.”

A Psalm 1 man.

When I first started dating my wife, I found myself also attracted to her family. Her dad had a brilliant mind and could build or fix anything, which I definitely took advantage of! He was a good man, but had grown up on a Missouri farm with an overly, critical father. He sometimes struggled with the same critical spirit, usually directed toward himself or sometimes to his wife and children.

In his mid-thirty’s though, during the Jesus people movement, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening. He discovered a love for the Word of God and delighted in showing me things he was learning. He was a model of the man meditating on the law “day and night”.

I watched him grow sweeter and wiser as the years moved by. However, the last few years my father-in-law has struggled with dementia. His mind has been in decay. He is often unaware and confused. He now has trouble engaging in conversation and it has been many years since he fixed anything. But boy can he pray!

Many in this present state get bitter and angry. However, this godly man’s brain seems to have grown in the opposite direction. His family, friends and even caregivers remark how gentle and kind he is. His mechanical skills may have faded, but the many character circuits transformed by meditation on Scripture are still flowing strong!

Be transformed through Scripture meditation!

One of the greatest scientific discoveries of the latter half of the twentieth century is that of neuroplasticity. The brain is in a constant state of change. New thought patterns and skills can be intentionally acquired. Yes, old habits can be broken.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help us change those patterns. Mindfulness exercises can help. But deep meditation on Scripture is more powerful still. That is mindfulness-plus!

For help navigating through a difficult season of life or other issues, contact me or any of the other counselors at Spokane Christian Counseling. We also have sister offices elsewhere. We can partner with you in your quest to grow and thrive.