Note 27 at 1 Tim. 4:15: Meditation is a very important factor in the Christian life, that few people value. Eastern religions' emphasis on meditation has scared off many Christians, but there are an abundance of scriptures that instruct us to do so. This meditation is not done sitting on the floor with our legs crossed and chanting. It is not emptying our minds, but rather just the opposite. Bible meditation is filling our minds with the things of God.

Paul's next phrase helps explain what meditation is. It is giving ourselves wholly to something. It is focusing all our attention on a given subject. Paul is telling Timothy to focus all his attention on the things he had just instructed him about, and this would cause Timothy to manifest God's nature to all who saw him.

Meditation takes effort. Paul had already used the example of physical exercise to illustrate the Christian life earlier in this chapter (1 Tim. 4:7). Just as with an athlete's training, one of the most important factors in meditation is consistency. You can't just exercise once a week and expect to perform well in a race. Likewise, meditation must be a consistent practice to reap the true benefits.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." This makes it very clear that we can live a life where every thought comes into captivity and obedience to Christ. That is meditation.

Note 28 at 1 Tim. 4:15: This verse is promising that meditating on the things of God causes us to prosper in such a way that others can see it. We can look at this promise in reverse and say, if others cannot see the blessings of God in our lives, then we haven't been meditating (see note 27 at this v.) on the things of God with our whole hearts. That's the way it is.

Instead of complaining about others not respecting or valuing us, we should get into the presence and power of God, meditate wholly on the things of God, and then others will respect us. That's what Paul is telling Timothy to do in verse 12.