At this point–even Aaron Rodgers doesn’t know where he will play football next year. The quarterback for the Packers said he is going to take a 4-day/night darkness and isolation retreat after the Super Bowl.
Rodgers is special in many ways. He’s statistically one of the greatest quarterbacks in history.
He is not special in the way he is looking for wisdom. Rodgers is looking inward for guiding light about the best path ahead. This is a tragically normal mistake.
Rodgers will go on this “self-reflection” retreat without light (literally) or other voices because our culture has discipled us to believe that truth rests somewhere deep inside us, covered by the debris of society, education, and culture.
Many believe the lie that the wisest way will come from the purest portions of our heart that are still deep down.
Meditation and self-reflection are growing in popularity on the shoulders of the lie of humanity’s innate goodness. “Sure, the well of your heart has been polluted but if you get deep enough you can bring up the pure stuff.”
Christian meditation is rooted in a fundamentally different worldview.
Meditation is a part of the life of prayer. Prayer is about dependence on God, not us. In prayer we fit the Word of God together with the world He has put us in by the Spirit. We bring the Light of the Word to bear on the darkness of the world. We ask the Lord to shine light in our hearts!
In meditation, Christians are mulling over, chewing on, and letting the Word ferment in their heart.
Christians do not look inward for light. Christians do not meditate on their own thoughts; we delight in the Word of God.
Do we reflect on our motivations, desires, feelings, and thoughts? Of course! But only to bring them into conformity with the thoughts, desires, motivations, and affections of Christ. When we reflect on ourselves it is with the transforming mirror of the Word.
Jesus told us that man was not corrupted by what comes from outside, but that evil comes out of men’s hearts (cf. Mark 7).
Your meditation is hopeless if you are drawing from your own well. Meditation is a joy and gift of the Christian life if we are drinking from the Well that will never run dry.
Christian Meditation fills the mind and heart with the Word of God and drinks that truth in prayerful fellowship with the Spirit.
I would love to see Aaron Rodgers find the hope and joy of looking outside himself for wisdom and direction. He needs something to draw from that is eternal, unchanging, and true.
True wisdom is found in looking outside ourselves, beyond our understanding, above our own strength. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Jesus is offering Aaron Rodgers true wisdom!
Meditation is only wise when rooted in true wisdom. Filling our minds with the Word of the All-wise God is wise. Emptying our minds of other voices leaves only the deceit of our hearts.
Jesus Over Everything!