How to meditate for 15 minutes if you can't even meditate for a moment

1. Set your phone's countdown to a gentle, pleasing chime
2. Set it for 1 minute and quiet your mind until you hear the chime
3. End the timer, set it for 2 minutes and quiet your mind until you hear the chime
4. End the timer, set it for 3 minutes and quiet your mind until you hear the chime
5. End the timer, set it for 4 minutes and quiet your mind until you hear the chime
6. End the timer, set it for 5 minutes and quiet your mind until you hear the chime
7. Tada, you've meditated for 15 minutes!

Objections:

"That's not real meditation"

People who can meditate for 15 minutes straight might laugh at this and say it's distracting, disjointed - and they'd be right.

This isn't for people who can meditate for 15 minutes straight. This is for people who can't even meditate for 90 seconds (a literal "moment") to build up to 5 minutes straight and beyond. (You don't have to stop at 5.)

(People who can meditate for 50 minutes straight won't laugh at you because they already know better.)

"Meditation isn't Christian"

Some people from my Christian tribe might be uncomfortable, but meditation is literally commanded in the Bible.

"Ah, but that's meditation on the Word of God."

Yes, but what is the Word of God?

"Easy, the 66 books of the Bible."

Does the Bible say that?

"..."

Every time the Bible mentions the Word of God, it's referring to a canon of scripture that came before. Joshua refers to the Pentateuch/Torah, Psalm 119 refers to the Law and Prophets, Galatians refers to the Old Testament.

Of course, John tells us what the Word of God really is – Christ.

Christ himself says, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."

So, how do you "come to Jesus" on a daily basis?

You meditate on the Word. Jesus. Christ.

Elijah heard God speak in the "still, small voice" (translated literally as the "sound of silence").

20th Century Christianity was very intellectual, almost rationalist.

Ancient Christianity was not afraid of mystical practices like meditation. Check out The Cloud of Unknowing, for example.

Unless you learn to meditate, you'll be like the guy at the gym who skips leg day. Great upper body, toothpick legs.

If someone asked you, "Should I exercise my upper body or lower?"

Of course you'd say, "Duh, both!"

So, do both. Don't just study the Bible.

Meditate on the Word.