Jan 31, 2021

304 What Would You Exchange for Your Soul?, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Matthew 16:24-26 with the Recenter With Christ app

I'm Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina:

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:

Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Bible verses for Meditation:

Matthew 16:24-26

KJV
24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

NIV
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Meditation on Scripture:

What would you exchange for the forfeit of your soul? Obviously when confronted with this question, we may respond differently than the way it actually shows up in our life. Most of the time it is not given as a choice that clearly. It is simply human desire. I really enjoy this question due to the way it can cause us to think about ourselves. When we ask ourselves clear questions like this it can help give our mind clarity. Similarly if we were to ask ourselves if we trust God’s plan we would agree but what about when tragedy hits?

When we are overly focused on this world, it makes the things of this world much harder to manage. For example, when there is a death of someone close to us, or an unforseen situation that arises. If we view the purpose of our existence to stay like we are now forever and be content with perpetual mortality, then we can get rocked to our core. When however, we realize that there is nothing we can do to hold the mortal world together, we can allow normal human emotions to move through us while not becoming trapped by them. It can give a perspective that helps us rise above.

The good news about this is not only that Jesus came to overcome sin and death, but that we can grow and develop spiritually by truly understanding that and believing it. Jesus came to earth because this world is made of clay and will invariably come to an end. It is through our faith in the one who fixxes all eternal problems, that we gain the ability to rise above temporary things and place our focus on eternity. The most beautiful truth of all is that Jesus makes this question irrelevant if we follow Him. We don’t have to hate good things, we dont have to reject all happiness and comfort, we dont need to live in constant fear of sin. We can enjoy the good of life while trusting in God’s ability to help us rise above it.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Updates:

Final Question: Do you really value the things of God above the things of this world?

Final Thought: When we are forced to choose between happiness and God that is a false dilemma. When we follow God that is how we find lasting happiness. It is a discipline that takes time to wrestle with. Focusing on God allows us to feel more connected to others, not less. It also allows us more flexibility to understand we dont need to fear as much what happens on earth. We can place our eternal trust in God and wait for his majesty.

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Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
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