4 Sources Of Stress (Part 3)

The third source of stress comes from Loss of Privacy. We live in a world where we are not comfortable being alone. We don’t know what it means anymore to be quiet. We are constantly being talked to by some electronic device, radio, television, ipod, x-box, cell phone.

Entertainment is the great escape from ourselves and our responsibilities. Entertainment means “don’t think. We will think for you”. As a result, instead of living a life, we sit in front of screen and watch other people live their life. There are countless numbers of people in the world today that have completely abandoned their life and are living their hopes and dreams through some imagined character on television.

To regain ourselves we must have some time alone. Quietness is essential for recovering yourself. Benjamin Franklin would go fishing with no bait. He wanted people to leave him alone and he wanted time to just think. The fact is, great people think. They ponder and brood. It is a time we have to defrag our hard drive. It is during those times that God can speak to us. During those times, we can categorize and find solutions to our problems and plans. I see meditation as one of the greatest losses of our time. But meditation is pushed to the side for the sake of noise. If noise is all around you, look for a place in your home, neighborhood, or community that can easily be your place to meditate and talk with the Lord.

If you can't find a quiet place, try making one of your own. It's been said that Susanna Wesley, mother of Charles and John Wesley, would simply pull her apron up over her head! That let her family know she was meeting with God and not to be disturbed. Be creative! Find ways that you can get alone. Stress will melt away from your life.