Busyness is a very western value. For the majority of us there is even a certain amount of discomfort in solitude. There are likely many reasons for this. I think among the most significant would be that most of us do not know how to be silent. We cannot imagine any value coming in stillness and even a certain amount of aloneness. For me the greatest reason I value solitude is that it allows (forces) me to be introspective.
Admittedly there are some potential drawbacks to being overly introspective. Let’s name a few so we can be thinking of some of the types of things to guard against… things like selfishness (too much focus on self), depression (a hopelessness because of the negative we see in ourselves), and isolation (the Enemy’s greatest lie may be the one that says, “You are the only one who…”).
So, I dare you. This is a phrase I used often when I was a pastor to students. Most teenagers are energized to action by a dare. With this in mind, I would often dare them to try whatever it was we were studying at the time. And so I end this post the same way… I dare you to reflect and pray and seek the value of solitude.
re:THINK 