Listening Within

I've noticed an interesting trend lately. It seems with all the technology in our lives that makes it easier to distract ourselves, people cannot stand to not be distracted in some fashion. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else, I probably spend more time than I should on the internet and listening to various music (look at that, doing both right now), as well as reading and watching tv.

But I think it can be even worse than that. I wonder about people who never let themselves stop being entertained, who can't stand not being occupied in some fashion, if they are not working or concentrating on work then they are listening to music, watching tv or talking on their cellphane, or doing all of these at the same time. It seems to me that more and more people are like this nowadays, and it made me think about why.

Part of it probably has to do with how we have been raised in a world where everything is always on and we are expected to do many things at once, constantly dividing our attention. But I don't think that is all of it. I know I personally find that oftentimes I just have to unplug, sit down and try to let my mind catch up with itself. Oftentimes this is on my walk to and from work (or on the bus) when I have a good 1/2 hour to think about things. It's a chance to disengage from most things around me (have to watch out for those pesky cars though, they like to jump out at you) and think out my day, and what I have done, and any problems I may have.
I also think it is a time when the Holy Spirit is most likely to bring something to my attention, like a sin I have committed, or insight about things going on around me. And this is great, because without this time of reflection, I would not be aware of so many things I do, I would likely never think about them again.

This is what I think some (not all) people are avoiding by continuously looking to be entertained, and cannot stand to be bored for a minute. They don't want to think about what their lives are like, the choices they make every day, and how that affects their lives especially when it is negative. I feel sorrow for those people, because I know the love of God can take all that away, and that by hiding this from themselves they are distancing themselves more and more from the love of Christ. Obviously this holds true even for Christians, as it is very easy to allow the demands of daily living intrude on our relationship with God.

Anyway, just a thought. If you agree/disagree please leave comments.God_, General_, Science / Tech News_