Wanting advice.

[punxtron12]

Over the past year I've been getter closer to God. I have been stumbling still, but i'm realizing more and more sin is just not worth it anymore. I am confused with what to do with some areas in my life.
I have been contemplating on the idea of getting rid of everything which seems to be even slightly un godly . I could never give up Christmas and stop putting up a tree like a few people I know.
Rather I feel the need feel guilty about listening to some music or using zen meditation.
Now I'm not listening to music which speak anything about hate,killing,sex, drugs etc. I mainly listen to folk(psych folk),new age,some punk rock,Techno. The only music I feel really has an influence on the way I think is relaxing music , and I believe that is a good thing. I just get confused because I don't know if I'm suppose to give up every aspect of my personality for god, or am I suppose to mature and have my heart the right place? I also have a hard time quitting the practice of zen meditation. I don't think of Buddha is a god at all . I more see him as an guy who found a way to calm his thoughts and shared his wisdom with others. I have bipolar and have found mindfulness meditation and zen meditation to be the only things to really help me calm my thoughts and put my emotions back where they should be so I can focus better. So I have prayed and prayed over the problem I'm having with some of these things and still feel somewhat confused. Any advice on what the bible states I should do would be helpful thank you all very much .

 

[aspen]

Christianity has a rich tradition of Contemplation - check out Thomas Keating and Richard Rohr.

You sound like you are really feeling shame. Remember God loves you and He is leading you in the right direction.

 

[Selene]

Over the past year I've been getter closer to God. I have been stumbling still, but i'm realizing more and more sin is just not worth it anymore. I am confused with what to do with some areas in my life.
I have been contemplating on the idea of getting rid of everything which seems to be even slightly un godly . I could never give up Christmas and stop putting up a tree like a few people I know.
Rather I feel the need feel guilty about listening to some music or using zen meditation.
Now I'm not listening to music which speak anything about hate,killing,sex, drugs etc. I mainly listen to folk(psych folk),new age,some punk rock,Techno. The only music I feel really has an influence on the way I think is relaxing music , and I believe that is a good thing. I just get confused because I don't know if I'm suppose to give up every aspect of my personality for god, or am I suppose to mature and have my heart the right place? I also have a hard time quitting the practice of zen meditation. I don't think of Buddha is a god at all . I more see him as an guy who found a way to calm his thoughts and shared his wisdom with others. I have bipolar and have found mindfulness meditation and zen meditation to be the only things to really help me calm my thoughts and put my emotions back where they should be so I can focus better. So I have prayed and prayed over the problem I'm having with some of these things and still feel somewhat confused. Any advice on what the bible states I should do would be helpful thank you all very much .

Buddha was never a god and the Buddhists monks never worshipped him as a god. Buddha was once a man walking on this earth just as George Washington was once a man walking on this earth. Buddha was searching for enlightment. He taught many things to his followers, and one of those things he taught his followers is to always question him. Buddha never claimed to be a god nor did he ever claimed to be always right. Meditation is also used in Christianity. Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God. It can also be in the form of a prayer.

 

[punxtron12]

I've have been think of Buddha in the same way salene. I have never met another Christian who shared the same knowledge of him though. I have been meditating upon the feeling that god gives me when I think of him . I still find my self going back to some of the practices of Zen meditation like focusing on the breath,sound ,body and moment. I've just had a few friends of mine make it seem like I'm doing something that is sinful. I am feeling lots of shame in my life. I wish it would stop. Thank you both for responding.

 

[aspen]

I understand the feeling of shame! However, it is not going to help you - please check out the authors I recommended; you could be experiencing so much more than you are now by engaging in Christian Contemplation! Also, remember that sin is simply missing the mark - it is settling for the lesser good - nothing to be ashamed about. Guilt is healthy because it motivates you to change - shame causes you to wallow in the mire of negativity. You can choose to delay your disbelief (faith) and trust that God will lead you to a better place.

 

[HammerStone]

I'm not going to say that contemplation alone - be it Christian or whatever - will fix your issues. Just please consider what I have to say.

While I don't want to be the guy who says "You're MEDITATING!?"(there are some positive examples of meditating in certain aspects of the word) I would like to urge caution and consideration in this arena. There are some practices from that part of the world that I do not believe are evil based upon what the Bible says. However, there are others where I do believe you could get into trouble, and deeply at that. I suppose being more ignorant of some things, I would simply urge you to not get mixed too deeply into meditation as its own end. What I mean by that is that I do believe certain phrases, incense, states of mind, etc can (emphasis) be a real danger zone. If you're taking some time to dwell on the Bible or pray or whatever else, that's one thing. I get the feeling you're going a bit deeper than this, though.

Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

There are techniques and different people approach God differently. Jesus is the way, but some people think about Jesus while others prefer to go out and do something to get closer to Jesus. Still others might see him in creation, and so on. There are lots of methods and techniques in the world and it's simply best not to get caught up in them alone. Particularly when borrowing from other religions.

Deuteronomy 18:10-14
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcereror a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.You shall be blameless before the Lord your God,for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.

I realize the latter verse may not seem directly related to meditation, but there is one thing I want to emphasize about the practice. The comments about Buddha not being a god are correct. However, a very over-summarized but still true thing about the religion is that it's teaching a works-based theology whereby the person practicing is attempting to achieve a god-like state. Additionally, Buddha preached nothing about Jesus.

Recall Satan's offer in the early part of Genesis. What did he promise? It is very similar.

By me using a couple verses above and also based upon your statements, I want to emphasize that Christianity is not a you can't do this, that, and the other faith. We can expel and expunge things in our lives, but that's simply religion(Paul calls it crap - well, he says worse but that's another topic for another day). The world is full of stories of people who cast aside sin and sin enablers, only to return to those things in our weakness. A relationship with Christ - a truly solid one - is one where you heart is changed. You don't just purge yourself of whatever it may be and deal with the temptations to revert or continue. You let Jesus go to work in you and you'll slowly find that you don't want those things any more. That's not to say you won't be tempted, because there is a devil out there that knows we can be broken down, but this is a different approach from just throwing something away or not doing it anymore.

Matthew 12:43-45
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

The emphasis of Scripture is that when an evil spirit goes out, it has to be filled with Jesus. Now I'm not suggesting anyone who participates in meditation gets his own personal demon or whatever, but you seem to be speaking of a tremendous (for you) burden whereby this meditation alleviates it for a time, but then it returns. Let that go my brother, let it go.

 

[7angels]

it is correct that meditation in and of itself is not bad. it is a neutral thing which is neither good nor bad. it all depends on what you do with it. it is our intent(righteousness or sin) that matters when we go to judge whether a thing is good or bad. satan cannot create but can only twist what God has already created. that shows us that everything comes from God. we need to learn to judge everything except people. when something glorifies, participates in, submits to, partakes of or promotes righteousness then it becomes a form of Godly worship. if in doubt of whether something is righteous or sin try this rule of thumb.
if it produces bad fruit(looks rotten, smells rotten, tastes rotten) then chances are real good that it is rotten.

i have scripture to back it all up and i can go more in depth if you prefer but it is getting late and i need to go to bed. so just ask if you want more info. God bless you all

 

[veteran]

Ps 49:3
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
(KJV)

There's a major difference between how God's Word means the word 'meditation' and how it's applied to 'eastern meditation' practice. The Bible in English uses the term for the idea of contemplation, pondering on a topic, involving thought process.

Eastern meditation is different, in that it determines to 'remove'... all thought process. The purpose being is to open up the body's psychic centers (chakras) which the easterns believe is a way to connect to the divine realms. What many actually are practicing with that is really Transcendental Meditatiion, which is an attempt to 'transcend' the earthly realm and limitations and instead penetrate the spirit realm. THAT is HOW the practice of eastern meditation can be VERY DANGEROUS.

When we try to stop all thought process of the mind, and 'invite' whatever that will to come in, we are opening up ourselves to whatever may exist in the spirit realms. Some eastern mystics have declared that by this method they have been in contact with certain "hidden masters" that exist on spiritual planes, and received further teachings from them (i.e., Helena P. Blavatsky for one).

That practice is a very ancient one, and God warned us about it...

Isa 8:19
19 And when they shall say unto you, "Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?"
(KJV)

 

[Angelina]

I agree with you vet and HS!
My old Home Group leader use to get us to meditate on the word of God. His meaning was that we were to read, study and memorize it, to think on the meaning of a verse in light of it's context and apply it to our every day walk. He did not intend us to sit in a lotus position and chant Jesus with an empty mind. Matthew 12:44 is a good example of an empty mind, put in order and the results of not being filled with the things of God.

Blessings!!!

 

[aspen]

I think Meditating on the Scriptures is great - I practice a Benedictine exercise called Lectio Divina - praying the scriptures. I also think it is important to spend time listening to God - contemplation, which requires separating from your thoughts and feelings and simply listening.