To Ponder: what is its meaning?

When I was a young teenager, I looked up a lot of words in the dictionary. Sometimes what I was looking for was a defintion that explained how the word works or how I could put it to work in my life. Take ponder, for example. I only had a King James translation of the Bible in my teen years and many words I read were not part of my daily vocabulary. Proverbs 4:26 read “Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established.” Then, Proverbs 5:21 says, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.”

A modern translation uses the word “consider” in place of ponder in the fourth chapter of proverbs and “examines” for pondereth in the fifth chapter. But I actually like better the definition of ponder given by my pastor in a sermon many years ago. I noted it in my Bible. To ponder is “to weigh prayerfully; it is to give mental consideration with heart approval.” That helped. I find it a little more meaty or meaningful that simply “consider.”

Although we seldom use the word “ponder” these days, you may find the invitation to do so in thought questions at the end of Bible study guides. Rick Warren gave a “Point to Ponder” at the end of every chapter of The Purpose Driven Life.

So why am I writing about this? Maybe, because I’m doing a lot of it lately. But also, because I’m again reading the works of Henri Nouwen, an author whose writing causes me to exercise the process of pondering more than anyone else. Although I have about thirty of the books he wrote over his lifetime, I am just beginning to collect some of those in the Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series, a collection put together since his death. These books are on selected topics that were not the focus of a single one of his books but were addressed in many of his writings. These small volumes put together by others are made up laregly of excerpts from his writings.

Having been Joe Ann’s caregiver for a few years, I wanted to read A Spirituality of Caregiving. I got it this week and finished it this morning. In it I found so much to ponder. Perhaps I will write about some of it later.

What I most appreciate about Henri Nouwen’s approach to every aspect of life is that he was looking for the spirituality in living every part of life. It seems all too easy for me to mindlessly get on with the activities of daily living without mental consideration accompanied by heart approval of what is taking place. It is not about just doing what I am doing “as unto the Lord” but more importantly about what is He doing in me. I was reminded again that God is not loudly trying to get my attention. Becoming aware of the movement of the Spirit in my life requires silence and solitude.

What He is doing to transform me to His likeness is more important than what I am doing.