LENT and the Corpath Member - WEEK 2
Over the next few weeks, Monday Meditations will be looking at the topic of the Lenten Season and how we, as Corpath members, can embrace and participate in this meaningful time in the Christian calendar.
We are now into the second week of Lent and the specific topic we will focus on is SOLITUDE.
We live in a noisy world. There is so much happening around us. It seems everywhere we turn we are being bombarded with media of some sort. No matter where you go, you can see TV screens in any direction. Music is playing in the background of nearly every location. Even billboards on the highways now have digital content that grabs our attention. All these things are competing for just one thing … your attention.
Over the years, when I worked in the media business, we had specific metrics that revealed to us how many people were reading our content in print or online. We knew exactly how long they spent with our products. We knew which articles were the most appealing to them and used the data to direct our editorial teams as to which stories they should continue to cover or not. We helped our customers track the location of people that visited their stores and served directed advertising to their cell phones. We recorded search words from our readers to help us better understand the topics they were most interested in and used that information to help us get more engagement (time) from them online. We were not unique in these practices. Many businesses today do the same things.
Make no mistake, your attention is valuable!
With so much going on around us, I wonder if it’s even possible for us to break away and find true solitude. We have become so accustomed to fragmented and distracted thinking that it has become normal and comfortable for us. It’s the deep thinking in places of tried solitude that has become uncomfortable.
The idea of solitude seems so foreign to us that, for us to do it well, we need to practice it more. We need to become intentional about the time we allow ourselves to disconnect and concentrate on something specific.
Q: When is the last time you practised the act of solitude? Where were you? What was the result?
During my lifetime I’ve come to expect that God just does things differently than the world. It seems that he is the God of opposites. For instance, in a world that is so full of noise, conflict, natural disasters and economic breakdown he chooses to speak to us quietly.
This is similar to the passage we read in 1 Kings 19:1–18. Here, Elisha is struggling because so much is happening around him. The world is opposing him. He is stressed. Yet God, reveals to Elisha that the best way to hear him is in a whisper. Take a moment now and read the passage.
It is in times of quiet stillness that God does his best work. In Psalm 46:1-10 we read:
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So, we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Interlude
A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
Interlude
Come, see the glorious works of the LORD:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God!
I will be honoured by every nation.
I will be honoured throughout the world.”
Verse 10 seems to sum it up for us… We are to be still and know that he is sovereign!
Q: What do you think would happen if you intentionally spent time in solitude listening to God?
The season of Lent is meant for us, as Christ-followers, to reflect on the life of Jesus while here on earth. We know that during his ministry there were times he broke away from the crowds and went to a solitary place to pray and to allow his father to minister to him. If Jesus needed these times how much more do we?
Over the next week, find times of solitude to be alone with God. Break away. Focus on Christ and his purpose for you. Reflect on his goodness to you over the years. Revive your commitments to Him as you go through your week.
If you would like to begin a more intentional journey of honest reflection and faith this Lenten Season, consider using this series available to you as part of your FREE Corpath Member subscription at RightNow Media. Watch it and talk about it with your family and Forum Group members.
The Lent Experience, by Eric Ferris. https://app.rightnowmedia.org/content/details/468550
Prayer:
God, I thank you for loving me and encouraging me every day. I thank you to those brothers and sisters that take the time to encourage me. Please reveal to me, right now, someone who needs encouragement. Give me the idea, strength, and commitment to reach beyond myself and to speak words of meaningful and timely encouragement to them. Thank you for this message today. Amen.
Blessings always and all-ways,
Steve Shrout
President
Special Note:
If you enjoyed today’s message, then share it with someone. Also, use this content and questions as a discussion guide in your next Forum Group meeting.
Attached to this email is a printable PDF you can use to help with your meditation and reflection. I encourage you to print it, answer the questions and then keep it in a Corpath binder or folder for future reference and thought. You will receive a new PDF each week with each new Monday Meditation, and, over time, your binder will become a book representing your Corpath journey of BUSINESS thoughts, personal LIFE development and SPIRITUAL growth.
