As I shared last week, Sisyphus from the Greek myth, is punished for his pride by being forced to roll a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll down once it reaches the top. This endless loop is his fate for all eternity. What a picture of the false god of this world. We live lives of such overwork, overcommitment and overstimulation, we have become the sickest, most depressed and least satisfied people the world has ever known.
If you worship the American Dream, you may never awaken from your Sisyphean nightmare.
Peace and Quiet
At the core of our soul is a desire for peace and quiet. It’s interesting that every scientific study done on exhaustion and depression has found that all of us need between seven and eight hours of sleep a day. Studies have shown that the quiet and rest that comes from sleep replenishes and refreshes you emotionally and physically. Science is telling us we need to reboot our inner computer daily with peace and quiet.
God made our soul to also need His presence. God’s presence is experienced only as we slow down and tenaciously go after peace and quiet in our life. Ruth Haley Barton, in her book, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, writes, “In solitude and silence we are rescued from relentless human striving to solve the challenges of ministry through intellectual achievements and hard work, so that we can experience the life of the Spirit guiding toward the true way.”
When we practice taking time for silence and being alone to pray, meditate and listen, we give up control and allow God to be God in our lives. Take time today to stop all activity, sit down, close your eyes and let your mind dwell on God and His power and control over your life. Such a daily habit just might awaken us out of the Sisyphean nightmare.
Waking up,
Steve
Steve Holt M.A., D.D.
My newest book, Worshipper Warrior, can be found at www.steveholtonline.org
and www.amazon.com
