Contemplation #1

“Seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you.” 

(Matthew 7:7)

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!”

(Proverbs 16:16)

In the 16th verse of the 16th chapter of Proverbs, we are encouraged to seek wisdom, for it is more precious than silver or gold! Unfortunately, many mistake knowledge for wisdom. Knowledge comes from without; it is information gleaned from external sources and experiences. While knowledge is valuable and vital for productive healthy living, its value is like the wave to the ocean when compared to wisdom.

 Wisdom is cultivated within; it is an awareness of truths which has been written eternally in every human heart:

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”

(Jeremiah 31:33)

In the words of Plato:

“Every person has full knowledge of the ultimate truths contained within…

The soul needs only to be spurred to conscious reflection in order to become aware of it.”

To discover the wisdom (truth) about ourselves, we must seek it from within. Jesus warned his disciples not to look for the Kingdom of Heaven (perfect peace & truth) outside themselves:

“The Kingdom of  Heaven does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say,’here it is,’ or’ there it is,’ because the Kingdom of  Heaven is within you.”

Truth, the Kingdom of Heaven, perfect peace, genuine love; these are all attributes of the wisdom that lives eternally within each of us. We have been promised that if we seek it, we will discover it. To seek the treasure of wisdom, however, requires a willingness to travel inward. You must learn to quiet your mind.

Research in contemporary psychology has scientifically documented the benefit of daily meditation for reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, alleviating anxieties and worry, and effectively treating depression. In fact, there have been documented cases where daily meditation has successfully treated panic disorder and post-traumatic stress.

 Learning to quiet one’s mind is not, however, an easy task. The commitment to learning to quiet one’s mind is certainly, however, worth the commitment and dedication it takes to master the skill . While learning to meditate and quiet the mind has a multitude of physical and emotional benefits, the greatest benefit is perhaps  the awakening of  wisdom within ourselves.

With regular practice in quieting the mind, we rediscover the quiet peace that is within us, we rediscover the truth about ourselves; we are children born of Christ love (perfect love) through which anything is possible, and we are eternal and forever free. This is the truth that God has written into the DNA of every human heart.

To begin learning how to quiet your mind, I encourage you to check out Dr. Brown’s book, “The Healing Power of Breath“(2012). It even comes with a CD for daily practice. It’s a great way to begin cultivating a quiet mind and rediscovering  the truth that is within you, which is more precious than silver or gold!