A recent survey confirms what most of us suspect: stress is increasing as work encroaches more and more on our personal time. The electronic age hasn't slowed the onslaught of mail, memos, books and periodicals we must read just to keep up. A PR consultant who fields 400 emails, 100 phone calls and 20 text messages every day says, 'I used to stop working when it got too late to make calls. Now I'm never finished.' Now she lives in the country behind a mountain because there's no phone signal there, and if they ever erect a mobile phone transmitter mast she says she'll move!
It's critical to schedule one-on-one time with God, otherwise it won't happen. Mark says, 'When they were alone, [Jesus] explained all things to His disciples.' There are things the Lord will reveal to you only when you '...Meditate within your heart...and be still' (Psalm 4:4 NKJV). In High Call, High Privilege Gail MacDonald writes: 'The ancient Desert Fathers used to commit themselves to a disciplinary creed: silence, solitude and inner peace. Only after adequate amounts of time listening, did they consider themselves ready to speak...Among many Christian[s] today there's a strange...logic [suggesting] that spiritual resource and renewal are found in constantly seeking new voices, attending more meetings, listening to incessant music, and gathering to exchange half-thought-out opinions. How often do we fall into the trap of believing that God is most pleased when we've maximised our information, our schedules, and our relationships? Disengagement means silence before God...a time of heavenly discussion during which we listen more than we speak. And silence demands solitude.' Bottom line: You need one-on-one time with God!
Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.
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