A Soul Building Discipline

We live in some very turbulent and volatile times. It seems as though to find a sense of peace or a sense of inner tranquility, we have to go into hiding from all the blast of media that constantly brings troubling news or something they call news, to our hearing.  We can't even pump gas into our vehicles without a little screen spewing out some commercial or the latest racket that media types decide we need to know.  The hostility all around us can become so heavy and burdensome that it actually affects our mood, mentality,  perhaps our conduct and the ability to look optimistically into the future.  At any rate if you're like me, you get tired of all the clamor. Where does one go to find shelter and a relief so that we can stop and consider what is of true value?

One path I have found through all the din of the day is to begin each day in the quiet. That is, spend about half an hour, or an hour if you can, alone with just yourself, your Bible, and the Spirit of God. If you start with yourself and your Bible, the Spirit of God will be there. This practice does wonders to bring focus to our soul, and to receive from God the inner strength and presence of mind needed to meet each day and all the activities that are surely there for us.  We not only receive from God but somehow He summons for us strengths and character traits we perhaps did not know we had. We reinforce those good qualities He endowed us with as He formed us in the womb, and the good habits we've learned along the way.  {Not to mention dropping some bad ones we've picked up along the way also!}The Spirit of God will highlight some verse or passage of the Bible that will be particularly meaningful to us and we find it to be very encouraging.

Now, this is not an easy fix or some superficial religious practice. When we start out to build this discipline into our life, that's precisely what is needed-discipline. We have to have enough mastery over our natural inclinations to say no to whatever might distract us from this time of quiet, and purposefully carry out this soul building activity. There will be ample distractions, reasons to "skip it for today," and put this time on the back burner.  We must be determined to have this as part of our lifestyle.  One helpful hint is this: Do not make time for this in your schedule, start with this time, and build the rest of your schedule around it. 

Soon, it will be so natural for you, so much a part of you, that you will regret it, miss it, if you don't have it one day.  This practice will not silence the loudmouthed media types, and the racket of the "entertainment" industry, but it will provide you with the calmness of soul and sense of priority that will help you navigate your way through the blast we experience daily.

One other small thing will help as well, just hit that off button on the remote, turn on some good music instead while you read that book.