Pleasing Meditation
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of directed meditation and solitude in our spiritual lives, warning against the worldly man's restlessness and blind religious leadership.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the restless nature of the worldly man, which stems from the fall and is exacerbated by a blind religious leadership that fails to address this issue through the Word and the Spirit. He critiques the numerous activities of the average church, suggesting they often do not contribute to the true work of Christ, and calls for a reordering of religious practices to allow for solitude and silence. Tozer warns that meditation must be directed toward God, as self-focused contemplation does not enhance spiritual growth. He advocates for a deeper engagement with God during quiet times rather than mere relaxation. Ultimately, Tozer's message is a call to prioritize genuine spiritual practices over mere activity.
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The worldly man can never rest. He must have ?somewhere to go?? and ?something to do.? This is a result of the fall, a symptom of a deep-lying disease, yet a blind religious leadership caters to this terrible restlessness instead of trying to cure it by the Word and the Spirit. If the many activities engaged in by the average church led to the salvation of sinners or the perfecting of believers they would justify themselves easily and triumphantly; but they do not. My observations have led me to the belief that many, perhaps most, of the activities engaged in by the average church do not contribute in any way the accomplishing of the true work of Christ on earth.
I hope I am wrong, but I am afraid I am right.
Our religious activities should be ordered in such a way as to leave plenty of time for the cultivation of the fruits of solitude and silence. It should be remembered, however, that it is possible to waste such quiet periods as we may be able to snatch for ourselves out of the clamorous day. Our meditation must be directed toward God; otherwise we may spend our time of retiral in quiet converse with ourselves. This may quiet our nerves but will not further our spiritual life in any way.
Sermon Outline
- The Worldly Man's Restlessness
- Blind Religious Leadership
- Evaluating Church Activities
- Ordering Our Time
- Directed Meditation
- Meditation must be toward God
- Quiet converse with ourselves is not spiritual growth
Key Quotes
“The worldly man can never rest. He must have ?somewhere to go?? and ?something to do?.” — A.W. Tozer
“Our meditation must be directed toward God; otherwise we may spend our time of retiral in quiet converse with ourselves.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should prioritize solitude and silence in our lives to cultivate a deeper spiritual connection with God.
- Directed meditation, focused on God, is essential for spiritual growth and avoiding wasted quiet periods.
- Blind religious leadership can be a hindrance to true spiritual growth, and we should be cautious of activities that do not contribute to the true work of Christ.