Alone v. Being Lonely

Our Young Adults asked me to come in last night and close up a series they've been doing on spiritual disciplines. I shared on the Discipline of solitude. Here's the points and steps I shared.

Some Observations on Solitude:

1. Solitude and silence can go hand in hand.
   Solitude can be noisy, but we have to usher in silence to in hopes to hear the God's holy noise.
   
2. Solitude is about more than audible silence.
   There's visual, emotional, relational, and even spiritual noise that we may need to remove at times.
   
3. Solitude can be synonymous with being alone, but is the antithesis of loneliness.
   The goal is contentment in it just being you and God.
   
4. Solitude is the key to mastering healthy TAWG (Time Alone With God).
   A key in TAWG is Alone. We must learn to be fed directly from God and His word and not simply through others.
   
5. Solitude is vital to healthy identity and compassion toward others.

Some Basic Steps:

• Find consistent Time Alone With God.
• Take advantage of the little solitudes throughout the day.
• Create your own Fortress of Solitude.
• Set up MAWGs, NAWGs, and/or DAWGs. (mornings lone, nights alone, days alone)
  
• Fast from noise producers.