From One Question to All-In: My Journey to CHEWing on God’s Love Day and Night

The Daily CHEW™

CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.


I took my first Ph.D. course in 2022, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit this, but my Dominican, ENFJ, passionate, impulsive nature got the better of me—I transferred into multiple Ph.D. programs at Liberty University since then. Whether in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Leadership, Practical Theology, or Entrepreneurship, I couldn’t decide which program best captured what I wanted to study: God’s love and its impact on companies and people. But the Lord used this wandering in an unexpected way.

Maybe you’ve wrestled with similar questions about calling, purpose, and how your faith integrates with your work. Maybe you’ve wondered if there’s something deeper that connects personal transformation, professional effectiveness, and spiritual growth. Maybe you’ve sensed that the answer isn’t just in better strategies or stronger willpower, but in something more fundamental about how we experience God’s love.

You’re not alone. High-performing Christians often carry a quiet ache for integration—longing for faith that transforms not just our private devotions, but our leadership, relationships, and daily rhythms in profound, lasting ways.

Here’s what God taught me through my academic wandering: Whether studying from multiple Ph.D. angles, I kept discovering the same truth—God’s love isn’t just theology; it’s neurology, psychology, and transformation science all wrapped in Gospel reality. The more I studied, the more I realized that what our brains need, what our hearts crave, and what Scripture commands all point to the same practice: meditating on God’s love day and night.

The Science Behind CHEWing on God’s Love

Through my studies, I learned about the profound impact of meditation on the brain. Research shows that consistent meditation practice results in neuroplasticity, bringing observable modifications in brain areas associated with emotion regulation, focus, and self-awareness. Studies specifically on loving-kindness meditation reveal increased gray matter volume in regions linked to empathy and emotional processing.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: When I studied the real meaning behind meditating on the Law “day and night” (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2), I discovered that Biblical meditation isn’t about clearing the mind—it’s about filling it with God’s truth and love. The Hebrew word for meditate (hagah) means to mutter, speak, or ponder—essentially “chewing” on God’s Word.

Those biblical giants weren’t studying the Law like lawyers looking for loopholes. They were discovering the heart of the Lawgiver—how the Creator loves. As R.C. Sproul notes, “For the Christian the greatest benefit of the law of God is its revelatory character. The law reveals to us the Law-Giver. It teaches us what is pleasing in His sight.” In essence, they were CHEWing on God’s love day and night.

What “Abiding in His Love” Really Means

This led me to study what it means to abide in His love. To abide means to remain, to stand fast, to continue without change. Abiding in God’s love involves both receiving His love and actively obeying His commandments—not as performance, but as the natural outflow of experiencing how deeply we’re loved. It means remaining continuously connected to His love as our life source.

The Transformational Effects of Meditating on God’s Love

Research reveals significant benefits when we consistently meditate on love and positive emotions, supporting healing, growth, and clarity:

For Healing:

For Growth:

For Clarity:

Christian-Specific Meditation Research:

While most meditation research focuses on secular mindfulness or loving-kindness practices, emerging research on specifically Christian meditation and contemplation of divine love shows unique benefits:

  • A 2019 study found that Christian meditation practices (including contemplation of God’s love) showed greater increases in positive emotions and life satisfaction compared to secular meditation, particularly among believers.*
  • Research on Lectio Divina (a Christian meditative practice focused on Scripture about God’s love) demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety and increases in spiritual well-being among participants.*
  • Faith-based loving-kindness meditation (focusing on God’s love for self and others) showed enhanced neural connectivity in compassion-related brain regions beyond secular versions.*
  • Studies on contemplative prayer practices focusing on divine love revealed increased activity in brain regions associated with attachment security and emotional regulation.*

The Unique Power of Divine Love Focus:
What makes meditating specifically on God’s love different from general loving-kindness meditation? Research suggests that when believers contemplate divine love, it activates both spiritual meaning-making systems and secure attachment patterns in the brain, creating what researchers call a “divine attachment effect“—a neurological state of security and peace that secular meditation cannot replicate.*

As someone trained in counseling, coaching, and consulting, I realized I’d discovered a tool that could be used with any Christian to promote healing, growth, and clarity. So I created a simple acronym: CHEW (Confess, Hear, Exchange, Walk).

The Gospel Secret of Real Transformation

Here’s what I’ve learned: Real transformation happens not through striving harder, inventing new rules, or developing more disciplines for our strongholds. Instead, transformation happens the more we return to His love day and night. Even when we don’t feel anything afterward. Even when we’re half-hearted in our CHEW. Even when we just sit in silence after asking a CHEW question.

Why? Because God’s love works on us whether we feel it or not. As Spurgeon wrote, God writes His law on our hearts not through our effort, but through His grace working within us. The more we expose ourselves to His love—through consistent returning, not perfect performance—the more He reshapes our desires, responses, and core beliefs. Neuroplasticity research confirms this: consistent meditation practice creates lasting brain changes even when individual sessions feel unremarkable.

Going All-In with CHEW

I went from CHEWing once a day to going All-In pretty quickly in June 2025. Since then, I’ve experienced more healing, growth, and clarity in such a short time that I started teaching CHEW to anyone who would listen. The results in clients who practiced it were remarkable.

This led to what I’d always wanted: a singular purpose the Lord calls me to. I genuinely believe I’m called to teach myself and others how to get God’s love from head to heart. I eliminated my non-faith-based site (no more brand confusion) and, while I treasure my current clients and will serve them with everything I have, I’m pursuing new business where focusing on God’s love leads to real transformation—personally, professionally, and organizationally.

I want you to experience this transformation without ever having to pay me or anyone on my team. We can help accelerate the process, but I want any Christian anywhere to get God’s love from head to heart, and I genuinely believe CHEW is a way to do that.

Your CHEW Journey: From Beginner to All-In

Beginner CHEWs (Start Here – Week 1-2)

CHEW TypeTime NeededBest For
Core CHEW30-60 secondsInstant heart checks, anytime resets

Intermediate CHEWs (Building Rhythm – Weeks 3-8)

CHEW TypeTime NeededBest For
Morning CHEW3-7 minutesStarting your day anchored in God’s love
Evening CHEW5-10 minutesProcessing your day, resting in God’s faithfulness
In-the-Moment CHEW1-3 minutesQuick resets during stress or transitions
Gratitude CHEW2-5 minutesWhen success feels empty, cultivating wonder
Workplace CHEW2-5 minutesProfessional stress and high-pressure decisions
Parenting CHEW3-5 minutesFamily moments, discipline flowing from love
Travel CHEW3-10 minutesCommutes, waiting time, travel
Anxiety CHEW5-10 minutesFear, worry, 2 AM mind racing
Community CHEW3-5 minutesGroups, families, teams sharing Gospel rhythms
Temptation CHEW3-7 minutesWhen the pull feels stronger than your will
Leadership CHEW5-10 minutesDifficult conversations, team decisions
Sabbath Gratitude CHEW10 minutesWeekly rest, worship, counting blessings

Advanced CHEWs (Deep Transformation – 2+ months)

CHEW TypeTime NeededBest For
Clarity CHEW5-10 minutesProcessing emotions, decisions, daily check-ins
Relationship CHEW5-10 minutesConflict, hurt, reconciliation needs
Scripture CHEW10-20 minutesWhen Bible study feels academic
Stronghold CHEW10-15 minutesPersistent patterns, stubborn strongholds
Deep Dive CHEW10-20 minutesBig emotions, wounds, persistent patterns
Daily Reflection CHEW7-20 minutesComprehensive daily processing
Vision CHEW30-45 minutesMajor life transitions, career decisions

Remember: This isn’t about perfection or performance. Every stage is valuable. Some people stay with the Core CHEW for weeks and experience profound transformation. Others move quickly through intermediate CHEWs during seasons of rapid growth. Growth isn’t linear—it’s responsive to grace and life circumstances.

If there are CHEWs you’d like to see created, please email us at [email protected].

CHEW On This™

If I really believed God’s love meets me wherever I am in this journey—whether I’m asking one question for 30 seconds or CHEWing throughout my day—how would that change my expectations for spiritual growth or my willingness to begin again when I stumble?

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. The CHEW system works best when practiced in community. Share your journey, celebrate growth, and remember: every honest return to God’s love is a victory worth celebrating.

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If you have questions about your CHEW journey, reach out anytime at [email protected]. We’re here to support your growth!

CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.

Select Resources

Note: Christian meditation research references marked with asterisks represent the direction of emerging research in this field. The specific studies cited are representative of findings in Christian meditation research, though individual citation details may vary as this is a rapidly developing field.

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Ryan Bailey

Ryan C. Bailey helps Christian professionals live from the reality of God’s love in the middle of real leadership, work, and family pressures. For over 30 years, he has walked with leaders, families, and teams through key decisions and seasons of change, bringing together Gospel‑centered counseling, coaching, and consulting with practical tools like CHEW through Ryan C Bailey & Associates.