Some people try to fill a hole that has no bottom.


They are convinced that they should fill their lives


 with more, more, more people and experiences 


while completely ignoring their inner black hole...


void... and emptiness.

Each of us has a Spiritual void,



 a yearning, a sense of helplessness 



that only God can fill.

Some people simply cannot be alone. When they


 are alone, they feel lonely, isolated, alienated,


 excluded, and fearful. They have a strong desire 


to fit in somewhere. As a result, they develop 


emotional attachments to people, objects, and 


experiences.

It is futile to try to fill the inner


 void in one's heart and soul with


everyone and everything around


 them.



However, there is a vacuum... a 



void in every man's heart that 



cannot be filled by anything 



created.




This infinite chasm can 


only be filled by God.

A hole with no bottom.

Some people must always be surrounded by others.


 This is the criterion that gives them a sense of


 validation.

As they move from scene to scene in their social life, 


they adopt group-derived and peer-dependent identities.

Some people are only alive in public.


Their identity is strongly intertwined to all 


social life's arrivals and departures.



Their lives may be filled with activities, but 


they do not have any degree of understanding 


of why they do these things.



Their lives have no overall purpose. They have 


no clear understanding of their own true nature 


or identity.

Many people go through their days without ever


 thinking about life or what it means to them.


The contemporary self seeks celebrity and 


connectivity as a means of being seen and 


known by others.


Their goal is to be recognized, visible, and 


connected, but most fall short... they come up


 empty… and remain untrue to themselves.


More things, people, and experiences, no matter


 how appealing they appear, cannot truly satisfy 


that inner longing.

 Some people live solely in relation to others, 


and what remains of their lives is... loneliness.

Contemplate how life would be different if we


 all put as much effort into developing a loving 


relationship with God and ourselves as we do 


with others.


Some people are naturally inclined


to spend time alone with themselves. 


While, others cringe at the thought. 

When our minds are preoccupied and distracted 


by things in the outside world, we are in a state 


of constant questioning.


It is a response and reaction situation. When it 


comes to spending quiet time with God, inner 


"noise" can be just as distracting as outside noise.

Preparing our hearts to hear from God necessitates


 concentrated effort. We are distracted by noise, 


whether it is outside or inside.

Focus is always found at God's feet "But Martha 


was distracted by her numerous tasks, so she came


 to the Lord and asked, 'Lord, do you not care


that my sister has abandoned me to do all of the work?'


Tell her to help me.'



 But the Lord replied, 


'Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by


 many things; only one thing is needed.' Mary has


 chosen the better part, which will not be taken 


away from her.'"


Luke 10: 40-42



Martha was gently rebuked by the Lord 


because she had forgotten what was important.

There is noise to distract us everywhere we go, 


even in our own homes, from telephones to


 televisions to traffic. However, making time 


for daily devotion is essential for hearing God!


It is extremely crucial that we put an end to any


 activity that would prevent us from hearing  God 


when He speaks. We never want to be in a situation


 where God is speaking to us, but we are not 


hearing Him. We should not be people who are 


oblivious to God's voice. 



When God speaks to each of us, we should listen


 and recognize that He is speaking to us. When we


 allow God to lead us in everything we do, say, and


 think, we will find ourselves more productive and 


spiritually effective. 



God is already communicating with us. We should


 be in God's presence listening for His voice.


Every day God wants relationship-building time 


with us, which means our highest priority must be...


time at His feet, in His presence.


Making time for daily devotion is essential if we


 want to hear God! A time of devotion and prayer


 should be taken seriously... and it requires time.


Devotion is defined by the dictionary as "the fact or 


state of being passionately dedicated and faithful."


Using that definition, we should strive to become 


more devoted to God than to anything or


anyone else.


It is difficult to enter the relationship that God has


 called us to when we are constantly running around, 


doing things, talking, and never feeling at home


 enough to be quiet in His presence.

Being alone can be a very positive experience. 


Being alone is a blessing, not a curse. From the


 outsider's perspective, looking in, nothing much


 happens in the quiet zone.



People in the quiet zone tend to say that they need 


a few days, or even weeks, alone to think, pray, as 


well as meditate.



Without our old ways of thinking and routine


 activities to fall back on, time in the quiet zone 


can result in significant soul searching and 


heightened self-awareness.

Don't go along with the crowd.... stay true to


 yourself.  Maintain your authenticity. The


 bandwagon effect is a cognitive bias that 


causes people to think or act in a certain way 


because they believe others are doing the


same thing.



Following the crowd can be dangerous because


 it causes people to lose their development of the


 rational mind and forces people to stop establishing


 their own viewpoints about given situations. This 


can lead to things like dependence and an inability 


to think critically and construct one's own opinion.



Following the crowd can also provide us with an


 illusion of security. It can make us numb to potential 


dangers and delusional about them.


On the other hand, groups of like-minded people


 offer comfort and stimulation to those who 


avoid responsibility. Social acceptance allows


 them to justify their thoughts or behavior more 


easily. Confirmation bias maintains the illusion 


and the feelings that support their position. It is 


not difficult to persuade someone to do what their


 nature already desires.



The emotions of a crowd on a path that 


corresponds to their desires can be appealing. 


These feelings can become stronger as the group


 grows, resulting in a movement. This is where


 the risk lies.


Every destructive influence has an appeal 


that lures the senses. It's just enough to pique 


one's interest. It's amazing how people can feel


 so strongly about popular ideas about which 


they know very little.


The problem is that we have a tendency to be 


short-sighted and seek to satisfy those needs at


 the expense of a much larger picture.


Some people are people pleasers who seek 


approval. 



Some people are black and white thinkers who


 sees a situation from an all-or-nothing perspective.


They require certainty. Others are attempting to flee


responsibility in search of relief. In either case, 


some people simply find comfort in numbers.



" Enter through the narrow gate.


For the gate is wide and the road that leads to


 destruction is broad, and many enter through it.


 But the gate to life is limited in size and the road


 to life is narrow, and only a few find it."


 Matthew 7:13-14

 We can only be ourselves if we are generally 


alone. Spending time alone with God allows us 


to delight in God. In this quiet time, meanings 


and insights can emerge, providing the recipe 


for new beginnings.



Alone time allows us to reflect, contemplate, and 


evaluate ourselves. In essence, we learn more 


about ourselves. We learn who we are and 


Whose we are.

Quietness allows one to reflect on the journey of 

one's life, reacquaint oneself with the nature of 

one's true self, and consider how to make one's

 vision come true.

Most people can agree that 


real love grows from within.

We can fully realize the reservoir of rich love 


within in the silence of the heart. This quiet,


 timeless space creates a state in which our 


being can expand while still retaining the 


reservoir of that rich love within us.

To find the treasure, we can look within. As our 


awareness grows, we can tap into the reservoir 


of our being and recognize the rich love that exists 


within. Then we can reclaim the love we thought


 was outside of ourselves.

God has placed within us a vacuum


 that only He can fill.



Until God is there, 



nothing satisfies.

Solitude can help us achieve a state of gentle peace.


Pure silence is a transformative peace in and of


 itself. 


Solitude provides an opportunity 


to listen to God.



"My soul waits in silence for God alone."


-Psalm 62:1

Solitude is something we choose. From the 


outside, solitude and loneliness appear to be 


very similar. Both are distinguished by their


 solitude. However, the similarities end there. 


Solitude is a time for introspection and 


soul-searching.

The state of being alone without being lonely


 is known as solitude. Solitude is a positive and 


constructive state of identity.

 Solitude is desirable state of being alone


in which we provide ourselves with


wonderful and sufficient company.


A few moments of quiet prayer...



may be all that is required to 



transform our day from one of 



disorder to one of beauty and order.

Jesus prayed for guidance


in places of quiet solitude.


We typically look for external cues to guide 


us into a new beginning, but our inner attitudes


 toward life, our renewed self-awareness, and 


intuition are the true hallmarks of our 


new beginnings.

By relying on our inner voice to tell us where


 to go in life, we are likely to have more motivation


than if we were to depend on the expectations


provided to us by others. 


If we are enslaved with outside love, we are 


bound to live like an unexpected mishap. 


 Solitude is a state of being alone but not lonely,


and it can lead to self-awareness. Seeking and 


enjoying solitude helps us in caring for our souls.  


Quiet time allows us to do the things 


we want to do and the things we love, 


without any compromise.

Alone time allows us to exhale and relax.


It allows us to get a fresh perspective.  


Getting away from others can regenerate


the inner self. When we need to get away 


from the world we can turn to solitude for 


assistance.


Some may say we are insane, but solitude 


does not pass judgment. Solace, on the other 


hand will sit and listen to all our thoughts and


 dreams.


 Time alone gives us the opportunity


to pray, listen, ponder and plan.

Instead of being told or influenced by others


 and their opinions, alone time allows us to get


 to the heart of what we truly need and think.

 A few moments of complete silence can be like


 a breath of fresh air. It allows us to breathe new 


life into ourselves.

Quiet time entails both an inner state of being 


and an outward condition.

 Jesus regularly took time to be alone 


with His Father in prayer.

Giving ourselves the ability to be alone 


allows us to appreciate the time we spend 


with others more. It is critical to strike a 


balance in this area; once we do, we will 


enjoy our relationships even more.


Being alone is one of life's 


greatest treasures. 



Accepting solitude enables us to truly be with


 someone else... and have it mean something.


We can only become whole by taking the time


to get to know ourselves.

If we follow Jesus' example... if we can experience

 silence and solitude without being overcome by

 the desire to find distractions... then we can be free 

from culture in order to change culture in a powerful

way... just as Jesus did.

We need quiet time because we need God.


God is the One who makes sense of life for


 us, in times of crisis or calm.


  The next time we are finding it difficult to 


get away from the noise and get alone with 


God... let us remember who is standing in 


our way,


then remember 


Who is greater!


We withdraw from people, noise, cell phones,


 e-mails, and text messages in order to be with God in 


solitude.We get away from all of the spaces in our 


lives, all of the roles we play, and all of the people


 who are either cheering us on or telling us what we 


should do differently. We get away from it all to be


 alone with God."

Only God can make us whole. May we allow


God to lead us so that we do not continue to 


look for people to fill an inner void that only 


God can fill.

 

In solitude, I withdraw from people, noise, cell phones, beepers, pagers, faxes all the stimulation of life to be with God. I get away from all of the scaffolding in my life, all of my roles, all of the people who are either cheering me on or telling me where I ought to do something different. I get away from all of that to just be alone with God"to find out,
In solitude, I withdraw from people, noise, cell phones, beepers, pagers, faxes all the stimulation of life to be with God. I get away from all of the scaffolding in my life, all of my roles, all of the people who are either cheering me on or telling me where I ought to do something different. I get away from all of that to just be alone with God"to find out,
In solitude, I withdraw from people, noise, cell phones, beepers, pagers, faxes all the stimulation of life to be with God. I get away from all of the scaffolding in my life, all of my roles, all of the people who are either cheering me on or telling me where I ought to do something different. I get away from all of that to just be alone with God"to find out,

 Everywhere we go, even in our own homes,

there is some kind of noise to distract us,

from telephones to TV to traffic.

But making time for daily devotion

is critical to hearing God!  

 Everywhere we go, even in our own homes,

there is some kind of noise to distract us,

from telephones to TV to traffic.

But making time for daily devotion

is critical to hearing God!  

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