Recently, I had the honor of being part of a book launch team for the book Transforming Your Thought Life, by Sarah Geringer.

Now I have to say, I was a bit hesitant to agree to this. I wasn’t sure I had the time to commit and if I was going to do it, I wanted to fully commit. I don’t like to do things half-heartedly. (At least when it comes to things for other people. I cannot speak to my housekeeping skills. ;))

Well, after some prayerful thought and the enticement of getting a free book and some free resources, I agreed.

God’s Gentle Nudge:

Even though a book launch is done to help the author, this particular launch really helped me more than anything.

Mediation is not a topic I have spent much time researching and quite honestly have probably mocked at times. 

While I didn’t doubt the power of mediation, and especially Christian meditation, I just didn’t think it was my style.

Well, I guess God had been nudging me for quite some time. He gave me a daughter who would probably benefit from some mindful yoga and meditation.(She is wound a little tight.) I also have a sister who has done studies from a teacher’s perspective on mindfulness.

And then, add Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning, which includes meditation, plus being part of Sarah Geringer’s launch team, I guess you can say God was nudging me to change my own mindset, just a smidgen.

Related: How to Calm Anxiety in 10 Practical Ways

A book to help you grow:

I love reading all books, but one thing about Christian books that often disappoints me is the lack of Biblical references.

However, this was not the case with Transforming Your Thought Life. From the beginning and throughout the entire book, multiple scriptures were referenced.

If you look at the list below, I am sure you can find a topic or two that can help you grow.

The following topics, which affect all of us to some degree are discussed in the book:

• Careless Thoughts
• Negative Thoughts
• Anxious Thoughts
• Self-critical Thoughts
• Thoughts That Criticize Others
• Fearful Thoughts
• Idolatrous Thoughts
• Guilty Thoughts
• Discontent Thoughts
• Impure Thoughts
• Painful Thoughts
• Defeated Thoughts
• Regretful Thoughts
• Angry Thoughts
• Unforgiving Thoughts
• Self-focused Thoughts
• Untrue Thoughts

If you are simply standing still in life, then you are falling.

Which, as a Christian, means you’re not growing.

We’re all a work in progress and have unique weaknesses and strengths. My weakness was the lack of focusing on scripture and Biblical reading.

Since the reading of the book and my own renewal of reading and meditating on the Word of God, I have been surprised at the scriptures that come to my mind when I am most in need. As a result, my eyes are continually opened to how God is working in my life.

And while I still battle with my own personal weaknesses, it’s not our weaknesses that define us, but rather what we are doing about them.

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Now, Hear my warning

Are you simply doing nothing? Making excuses? Are you in denial? If you are sitting there saying to yourself, “I have no weakness.”, then hear my warning, “My how the mighty will fall.”

The arrogant often fall the hardest. When we are proud of our own doing and our own self, we forget that God is before all things. When we allow anything before God, then we are leaving a crack in the door for Satan to squeeze in.

And he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:17

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Now my children have a similar program where they are given a book or cd of memory verses. If they are able to memorize even some of the verses, they get a prize at the end of the year.

The practice is really as old as time, so why I never thought of doing this in my adult life, I do not know. Why we stop practicing the things we teach our children is a mystery. Many of the same lessons we teach our children apply in our adult lives as well. However, somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, we seem to think basic principles do not apply to us anymore.

Back to the basics:

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

In the commands God gave to the people of Israel, they were to focus and meditate on God’s word and commands constantly. They were supposed to have reminders everywhere. Are we doing the same?

In the mornings, I have been waking up about an hour before my children. It is often the only uninterrupted time I have for my reading, prayer, and scripture meditation. I will admit to being the first person to not talk about God constantly.

But one morning, my daughter woke up earlier than usual and came to sit with me. After a few minutes, she asked me what I was doing. I gladly told her about my reading and praying. Her response made me stop and think. She said, “Mom, you really like to worship God.”. I smiled a little and said, “Yes, I do.”

Since this was the first time she had ever asked this question,I had to keep myself from becoming too self righteous.It just reminded me that our children need to see us worshipping God and saturating our lives with his Word.

If we really want to teach our children and others what it is like to love and worship God, we need to start with ourselves.

Sarah’s book is a reminder of the most basic tenants of Christianity. She brings us back into God’s word by showing us just how we can apply the practice of meditation in the way that God intended.

As a result,the basic principles displayed in the book will help seal your door. Like anything you want to improve,you have to keep up the practice. That is what this book did for me. It gave me insight into how to keep the devil in the night. Each chapter is devoted to the different topics listed above. In each chapter you will find many scriptures.

The Transforming Power of Meditation:

Where will you begin your life-changing transformation? What thoughts in your life need to be brought to the surface?

Perhaps, the best way to be transformed like Jesus is to study his word. Finally, my friends, Christian meditation just may be the focus your life needs to be complete.