Meditations

Home » Meditations

Theodore of Edessa: Inviolable Treasury

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

One of the ancients spoke wisely and simply about thoughts. “Judge thoughts,” he said, “before the judgment seat of the heart, to discern whether they are ours or those of our enemy. Place those which are good and properly our own in the inmost shrine of the soul, keeping them in this inviolable treasury. But chastise hostile thoughts with the whip of the intelligence and banish them, giving them no place, no abode within the bounds of your soul. Or, to speak more fittingly, slay them completely with the sword of prayer and divine meditation, so that when the robbers have been destroyed, their chief may take fright. For,” so he says, “a man who examines his thoughts strictly is one who also truly loves the commandments.”

Theodore of Edessa (d. 848) in Philokalia V2.29.

I shared this post a few days ago and have returned to it because I can’t get this idea of the inviolable treasury out of my mind, and how it shows whether we truly love the commandments of God.

Humor me to go deeper. When we think of generosity, we think of gifts flowing from a treasury.

But here, Theodore points us to the inviolable treasury. Inviolable means “never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored.” Let me explain the connection to generosity.

Billions of people have more than enough resources to live. But they hoard for themselves because they harbor this thought: “Who will take care of me in times of trouble?”

That’s a thought to banish from your mind.

When that thought guides you, it leads to disobedient stewardship. You don’t obey the command of Jesus to go, sell, give, come, and follow. You stop, keep, go, and fail to follow. And, in so doing, you put your trust in yourself.

Only those who cherish the thought that God cares for them experience His care.

Notice, He does not force us to choose to entrust ourselves to His matchless care. It’s the result of what thoughts we hold tightly in our inviolable treasury and what thoughts we jettison.

There are many other examples of commandments to which we should hold tightly.

But our thoughts cause us to forget the commandments and hold on to false narratives which then change our experience of life.

I will ponder this with you as I fly to Sydney, Australia, over the next two days.

Consider the teachings of Jesus. Which ones seem hard to you. Pause. Ask Jesus for help to obey. What if you put even the hard ones in your inviolable treasury and trashed worldly narratives?

How would it change your living, giving, serving, and loving?

For the sake of vulnerability, I am sitting in John 14:12-14. I am learning to ask and trust God for bigger things, to not allow circumstances or people to rattle me, and to have greater faith.

Read more

Anthony the Great: Sensible

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

“A good man does not sell his inner freedom for money, even if he happens to be offered a huge sum. For things belonging to this life are like a dream, and the fantasies of wealth are uncertain and short-lived. Those who are truly men must endeavor to live with holiness and love of God, so that their holy life shines before others.

Since men take pains to decorate white garments with narrow purple stripes which stand out and attract attention, how much more assiduously should they cultivate the virtues of the soul. Sensible people should examine carefully both their strength and the degree of alertness of their soul’s powers; in this way they should make ready to resist the passions in accordance with the strength implanted in their nature by God.

It is self-control which resists beauty and all desire harmful to the soul, it is fortitude which resists pain and want; it is forbearance which resists abuse and anger; and so on. A man cannot become good and wise immediately, but only through much effort, reflection, experience, time, practice and desire for virtuous action. The man who is good and enjoys the love of God, and who truly knows Him, never ceases to do ungrudgingly all that accords with His will. Such men are rare.”

Anthony the Great (251-356) in Philokalia V1.335.

Are you sensible? Let’s take a test to find out. How much time each week do you spend, in Anthony’s words, cultivating the virtues of the soul and in reflective action?

Now calculate another number. How much time do you spend pursuing the fantasies of wealth, beauty, and desires harmful to the soul? These are short-lived objectives.

Now let me go one step further. If you asked a friend to assess your progress, what would they say. Does your holy life shine before others through your ungrudging service?

Or do your narrow purple stripes or, in modern terms, your house, car, clothing, and other possessions communicate more than basic food and covering?

What needs to change in your life to rank among the rare and to appear smart and sensible?

Read more

Theodore of Edessa: Useless Servants

So also ye, when ye do all appointed you, say, That we are useless servants: for what we ought to do, we have done. Luke 17:10

“A monk must love God with all his heart and all his mind (cf. Deut. 6:5, Mark 12:30), and, as a servant, he must reverence and obey Him, and fulfill His commandments with ‘fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12). He must be ‘fervent in spirit’ (Rom. 12:11), and wear ‘the whole armor’ of the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:11). He must strive for the enjoyment of eternal life and do all that is prescribed. He must be in a state of inner wakefulness, guard his heart from evil thoughts, and through good thoughts must continually practice divine meditation. He must examine himself daily concerning his evil thoughts and acts, and must correct any defects. He must not become proud because of his achievements, but must call himself a ‘useless servant’ (Luke 17:10), altogether in arrears over fulfilling his duties. He must give thanks to God and ascribe to Him the grace of his achievements, and do nothing at all from self-esteem or love of popularity, but do everything in secret and seek praise only from God (cf. Rom. 2:29).”

Theodore of Edessa (d. 848) in Philokalia V2.36.

Do any traits of the monks stand out to you as areas for growth?

I really appreciated the disciple to describe yourself as a “useless servant” who has only done his duty of service. This keeps us humble.

To this point, at GTP we never, ever attached the word “leader” to people. Why?

Jesus Himself said, “And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” Matthew 23:10. We get ourselves in trouble when we act like we are in charge.

Our lives do not belong to us (Gal. 2:20). Our resources do not belong to us. Every aspect of our being belongs to God. Any other mindset leads to pride and other problems.

Let us, in this light, live, give, serve, and love generously, not because we have any measure of wealth or worthiness when stacked next to God. Let us see ourselves rightly and do our duty.

We are useless servants whose only use comes when we surrender ourselves and resources to God.

Read more

Travis Shelton: Give What You Have

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Mark 6:38

Today’s post is a repost from the blog of my good friend, Travis Shelton. I share it here not because he mentions me but because I love what he has to say and want you to hear it.

“I’ve written extensively about the importance of giving what you have, not what you don’t. It’s a concept I learned from Gary Hoag, and it changed everything for me. We ALL have something to give. We don’t need to be wealthy to give. We don’t need to have a huge income to give. We don’t need larger-than-life status to give. Instead of saying, “I’d give more if I had x,” we can flip the narrative and say “I have y, so I should give from it.” All we have is what we have, and that’s what we’re called to give from.

It looks different for everyone. Of course, we each have an opportunity (and I’d argue a responsibility) to give from our income. Some of us have small incomes, others large. And all incomes merit giving from. We also have other financial assets to give from, such as savings and investments. But we also have other things to give. It could be our skills, our relationships, our influence, our time, our wisdom. Generosity can (and should) flow from every area of our lives.

We also have other, more creative forms of generosity at our fingertips. Here’s one example. I recently learned of a landlord who waives December’s rent for all of its tenants each year. Think about this. You rent a house and sign a one-year lease. The lease says you owe 12 monthly payments of $2,000. Then, when that first December rolls around, your landlord says, “Nah, you keep it. Use it to have a wonderful Christmas.” Boom! What an amazing blessing. I don’t know the landlord or what they have for income and other resources, but what a beautiful example of giving from what they have.

I don’t personally own a rental house to practice that form of generosity. It would be awfully easy for me to dwell on the fact I don’t have that to give. That’s why I must look inward and give from what I do have:

• I have an income (not nearly as high as it used to be, but it’s still an income).

• I have savings and investments.

• I have a coffee company (which has become one of the best outlets of generosity).

• I have skillsets to help countless people find meaning and intentionality in their finances.

• I have relationships all over the country and world that may be THE missing link in someone else’s journey.

• I have platforms (blog and podcast) that enable me to give away ideas, inspiration, and encouragement.

• I have knowledge bases that allow me to help several non-profits grow their impact.

• I have possessions I can share with others.

• I have a wonderful church that allows me the opportunity to serve in various capacities.

The list could go on. This really isn’t about me, though. That’s just my list. That’s what I have to give from. Now, it’s your turn. What do you have to give? The answer(s) to that question could change everything!”

Travis Shelton in his 24 January 2025 blogpost entitled “Give What You Have: Landlord Edition”. Check out his website and subscribe to his blog here.

When I met Travis he was making a lot of money, giving from those resources, but totally unhappy with his work. He just needed a nudge.

It was my privilege to give him that nudge. I urged him to follow his dream of helping people do more than get out of debt. He helps them grasp “a better way” to live.

I smile today because that nudge took the form of a conversation that lasted from the end of a morning church service to an evening service. Call it 6 hours.

From my generosity I had margin in my day and I gave it to Travis. I asked questions, listened, spoke pointedly, and the rest is history. I love him like a brother.

He will do greater things than I will do. I am thankful that I gave him my time that day. When you give what you have, you might just change the course of someone’s life.

What can you give today? Reply to this message. I want to hear from you.

Read more

Theodore of Edessa: Examine thoughts strictly

And [Jesus] told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21

One of the ancients spoke wisely and simply about thoughts. “Judge thoughts,” he said, “before the judgment seat of the heart, to discern whether they are ours or those of our enemy. Place those which are good and properly our own in the inmost shrine of the soul, keeping them in this inviolable treasury. But chastise hostile thoughts with the whip of the intelligence and banish them, giving them no place, no abode within the bounds of your soul. Or, to speak more fittingly, slay them completely with the sword of prayer and divine meditation, so that when the robbers have been destroyed, their chief may take fright. For,” so he says, “a man who examines his thoughts strictly is one who also truly loves the commandments.”

Theodore of Edessa (d. 848) in Philokalia V2.29.70.

When you study passages like today’s Scripture, you see clearly the destructive power of rogue thoughts. The worst thing we can do is to think to ourselves like the rich man did. That leads to nothing but trouble.

When we think to ourselves our mind follows the way of the flesh instead of the way of the Spirit. So in the words of Theodore, we must “chastise hostile thoughts” and “slay them completely with the sword of prayer and divine meditation.”

Notice the giving that Theodore recommends regarding any wayward thoughts. We must be found “giving them no place.” Take time to think about how this relates to your generosity. If you examine your thoughts closely what do you see?

Read more

Neilos of Sinai: Remove the inundation to do proper investigation

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

“If we want to make a river-bed dry, perhaps to investigate something of interest, it is no use drawing off the water in the particular place where we imagine the thing to be, since more water keeps flowing down. But if we cut off the flow from above, the river-bed becomes dry without any further effort on our part: the water automatically runs away, and so we can examine what interests us. Likewise, as soon as the senses are no longer supplying material from outside, it becomes easy to empty our mind of the impressions that produce the passions. But when the senses keep conveying a constant stream of impressions, it ‘is not just difficult but completely impossible to free the intellect from this inundation.”

Neilos of Sinai (d. 430) in Philokalia V1.232.

I am safely home.

But my mind is still with the children in the orphanages of Bangladesh (whose sandals are pictured above) and with the 14 leading accountants, lawyers, and professionals with whom I met in Mumbai, the financial capital of India.

In short, my mind is with those who need help and those who can help.

I spoke to the influencers and I am speaking now to you about the the heart of generosity. It relates to having a total change of mindset that guides the examination of your heart and life. You must cut off the flow to do this.

You must remove the inundation, as Neilos advises, to do proper investigation. Do this to allow God to change your heart and grow your generosity.

I had those 14 influencers cut off their phones and focus on ten steps they needed to make in their lives which cannot happen if the water continues to flow. If you want the handout I used with them, click here.

The same for you. You cannot examine what generosity looks like in your life without getting out of the flow, assessing your heart and your situation, and choosing to live, give, serve, and love differently.

When you remove the inundation to do proper investigation, you all the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to change and take those steps. Do download the handout and take steps today.

Read more

Neilos of Sinai: The order of the courses

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. Matthew 23:8

“In the spiritual life, more than anywhere else, the proper order and sequence must be observed from the start. Guests at a dinner may not like the introductory dishes and may feel more attracted by what comes later, but they are forced to comply with the order of the courses…

To become a true monk a man should not work backwards from the end to the beginning, but start at the beginning and so advance towards perfection. In this way he will himself gain what he seeks, and will also be able to guide his disciples to holiness. Most people, however, without exerting any effort or making any real progress, small or great, in the practice of virtue, simply chase after the status of spiritual director, not realizing how dangerous this is.

When others urge them to undertake the work of teaching, they do not refuse; indeed, they even wander about the back streets, recruiting anyone they find, and they promise all kinds of perquisites, as if making a contract with servants about food and clothing.

Spiritual directors of this kind like to appear in public supported by a large crowd of attendants, and to have all the outward pomp of an abbot, as if playing a part on the stage. So as not to lose the services of their disciples, they are forced to keep on gratifying their whims. They are like a charioteer who drops the reins and lets his horses go where they like.

Their disciples are allowed to run wild: carried away by their desires, they fall over precipices or stumble at every obstacle in their path, because there is no one to stop them or to restrain their disordered impulses.

Instead of doing this they ought to obey the true teacher Christ, and to refuse, as far as possible, to assume the direction of others. For He says to His disciples: ‘Do not be called Rabbi’, and if He admonished Peter and John and the rest of the apostles to avoid such work and to consider themselves unworthy of such a position, how can anyone imagine himself superior to them and claim for himself the office from which they were debarred?

For in saying ‘Do not be called Rabbi’, He does not mean that we are free to assume the office so long as we avoid the title. But what if someone, not from any choice of his own, is obliged to accept one or two disciples, and so to become the spiritual director of others as well?

First, let him examine himself carefully, to see whether he can teach them through his actions rather than his words, setting his own life before them as a model of holiness. He must take care that, through copying him, they do not obscure the beauty of holiness with the ugliness of sin.

He should also realize that he ought to work as hard for his disciples’ salvation as he does for his own; for, having once accepted responsibility for them, he will be accountable to God for them as well as for himself.”

Neilos of Sinai (d. 430) in Philokalia 1.157.

What does our example as spiritual directors and teachers have to do with generosity? Everything.

In my last day in Mumbai, I had the privilege of speaking to 14 of the leading accountants, lawyers, and professionals in the city, thanks to the hosting of chartered accountant, Raja B. Singh.

I spoke on the heart of generosity, giving deep biblical instruction in an interactive format.

All the while, I acknowledged that I had made ever mistake, committed every sin, and learned each stewardship lesson the hard way. I shared the lessons I had learned by experience.

Why take this posture? In the words of Nilus of Sinai from the classic work, Philokalia, this is the “order of the courses.” We are learners who help each other on the journey that has but one teacher, Christ.

I have discovered on yet another stretching trip about the faithfulness and generosity of God. And also that I am accountable for the growth of those I serve.

I aimed to teach them by my actions and they reported things they learned. I saw growth in Prakash Chandra Giri, GTP Curriculum Developer from Nepal, and in Rebecca Nilanjana, GTP Regional Facilitator for South Asia.

Let me know if you’d like a copy of the India and Bangladesh trip reports. I’m headed home now. I am not the same person I was when I left. The hard trips change me.

Following the order of the courses, form me into a true monk, Lord. I pray your hard times transform you too.

Read more

Evagrios the Solitary: Greater

You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18

“A monk should always act as if he was going to die tomorrow; yet he should treat his body as if it was going to live for many years. The first cuts off the inclination to listlessness, and makes the monk more diligent; the second keeps his body sound and his self control well balanced.

He who has attained spiritual knowledge and has enjoyed the delight that comes from it will no longer succumb to the demon of self-esteem, even when he offers him all the delights of the world; for what could the demon promise him that is greater than spiritual contemplation?

But so long as we have not tasted this knowledge, let us devote ourselves eagerly to the practice of the virtues, showing God that our aim in everything is to attain knowledge of Him. We should examine the ways of the monks who have preceded us, and achieve our purpose by following their example.”

Evagrios the Solitary (345-399) in the Philokalia, Volume 1.28.

As I examine the decisions that I make, not only do I invite you to join me. I would encourage you to think about the idea of choosing that which is greater.

On our last day in Bangladesh, our GTP team visited 3 of 9 orphanages that serve a total of 600 girls. At the end of the trip, I shared a draft of the trip report with a businessman who started the orphanage network.

He was so excited. His comments revealed that he knew how to make money running a clothing factory, and he knew how to start and run orphanages. But he admitted not know how to rally others to join.

From our conversation, I think with GTP’s help, within 5 years, he will have 6,000 girls in orphanages. But how does my story and the header photo above relate to today’s post?

We need to live as if each day is our last, but take care of ourselves as if we will live for a long time (notice Evagrios did not say stockpile money). We must abandon listlessness and instead choose the daily pursuit of knowing God.

For me, that means I want to help as many workers as possible to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ as far as possible to win as many people to lives of obedience to the God through whom all things are possible.

And I have learned that if I served orphans I could touch 600 like the businessman. But the greater choice is surrendering my dreams to serve 600 and following Him to equip workers to each touch 6,000 and more.

This reveals the secret of the monks that I have learned over the last 15+ years as Generosity Monk. Live a committed life, you see ministry grow by addition. Rally a community to choose the greater, you see ministry grow by multiplication.

Read more

Isaiah the Solitary: Daily

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

“When the intellect grows strong, it makes ready to pursue the love which quenches all bodily passions and which
prevents anything contrary to nature from gaining control over the heart. Then the intellect, struggling against
what is contrary to nature, separates this from what is in accordance with nature. Examine yourself daily in the sight of God, and discover which of the passions is in your heart. Cast it out, and so escape His judgment. Be attentive to your heart and watch your enemies, for they are cunning in their malice. In your heart be persuaded of this: it is impossible for a man to achieve good through evil means.”

Isaiah the Solitary (d.491) in the Philokalia, Volume 1.10.

Today the “daily” aspect of examine stood out to me.

While traveling and ministering in places like India or Bangladesh, it requires extra discipline to make time for study and prayer, for Bible reading and contemplation. I have very little margin so I have to lose sleep to do it.

It’s easier just to allow a busy schedule run my life into the ground.

Instead I find that the busier the schedule seems, when I block the time to be with Jesus, the more energy and confidence I find for joining God in His work, for noticing what is going on in my heart and for seeing enemy attacks.

This marks a key paradox of the generous Christian faith and a characteristic of the abundant economy.

A leading inhibitor of this is a divided heart. When we give our heart to God, it produces consistent fruit. But when we think we can give ourselves to anything else, and to God, our faith and fruitfulness will always suffer.

Serving God with all you are and all you have. It will not leave you empty but rather enriched.

And do this to escape judgment. With Isaiah the Solitary, I think a lot of people will say they were believers in Jesus but not followers or disciples. Too many hear, and don’t do.

They succumb to the enemies traps, such as counterfeit faith which looks like Christianity but lacks radical deeds.

I head from Bangladesh back to India today. The time went so well there! PRaise God.  I have two more group meetings in Mumbai and then heading to the airport late on 21 January 2025. Appreciate prayers for safe conclusion to this 2 weeks of service.

Read more

Thomas Merton: Spurious Faith and Merciless Examination

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary,
the deep, inexpressible certitude of the contemplative experience awakens a tragic anguish and opens many questions in the depths of the heart like wounds that cannot stop bleeding. For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial “doubt.” This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious “faith” of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion. This false “faith” which is what we often live by and which we even come to confuse with our “religion” is subjected to inexorable questioning.”

Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation (Abbey of Gethsemani, 1961) 12.

Today is a deep post. It’s swimming in the deep end of the pool, for sure.

The contemplative life is not an easy one. It weeds out spurious elements of our faith with merciless but necessary examination. It does not settle for the status quo of conventional opinion. It calls junk in our lives what it is, false.

I did not realize having the word examine would beckon me to place of renewal and revival, a place of truth and hard work.

I guess its the necessary condition for the work before me (and you if you are honest with yourself). Most readers will remain in the comfort zone, when Jesus wants them to focus on Him and walk on water.

Many promise to stand by Jesus to the death and promptly deny him three times in the next breath. They will think there is no hope for them and find that Jesus wants to build his church on them.

If everything I said just went over your head, hear this. Your contemplative and authentic Christian faith is your most generous contribution to the world. It makes you real in a world of not-real.

You pass the proverbial test Paul writes about because when everything is stripped and ripped away, Christ is there.

Yes, this is the kind of stuff I think about in the quiet and early hours of the solitude of my hotel room in a dark and desolate corner of the planet where the only thing that is real is the presence of Christ which fills me with power and love to go shine for Him.

Last full day in Bangladesh. Preaching again. The events have gone indescribably good thanks to the prayers of many and of course, the grace and supremacy of Jesus Christ to the principalities and powers that had grip on this land.

Read more
« Previous PageNext Page »