“Many of us live like a jar of river water that’s all shaken up. What we need is to sit still long enough that the sentiment can settle and the water can become clear. When we sit quietly, in God’s presence, the sentiment that is swirling in our souls begins to settle. ― Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence.
Our lives are consistently ongoing, some more than others. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a packed schedule. Between work commitments, family, and personal responsibilities, finding time for yourself and your relationship with God can seem impossible. However, amidst all the chaos, it’s crucial to carve out moments of solitude to pause, reflect, and reconnect with God.
One consequence of living in an instant culture, which values fast delivery, easy accessibility, and pithy slogans, is good if we are ordering a burger, buying on Amazon Prime, or are happy to get our news from Twitter. There is, however, no such thing as “instant spirituality.” Building a deep connection with God, like any meaningful relationship, requires time and effort. A lasting and meaningful relationship with God typically requires continuous effort and commitment, as well as spending time in God’s presence. This takes time. This takes stillness. This takes solitude and silence. This involves temporarily withdrawing to a private space for spiritual reflection and contemplation. This period of solitude may last only a few minutes or several hours, but the goal remains the same: to be alone with God.
The good news is we don’t have to plan a date or place far ahead because we know exactly where God is at every moment of every day. He promised to come to us and take up residence within us. If we would just be still long enough, be quiet long enough, be alone long enough, we would find Him.
There are many benefits of reconnecting with God in solitude, one of which is being exposed to God’s wisdom. God is all-wise and all-knowing. Acts 4:13 says that when the religious leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled, and they realized that they had been with Jesus. Secondly, you can benefit from God’s perspective. God gives His people the capacity to see all of life from His vantage point. Having God’s perspective allows us to rise above the daily grind of life and the actions of others and realize there is a sovereign God who rules over His creation and directs the activities of mankind.
Lastly, we benefit from God’s guidance. God promises to guide us throughout our lives. The psalmist writes, “For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die” (Psalm 48:14). But how do we receive this guidance? Psalm 48:9 says: “meditate on your unfailing love.”
Discussion Questions:
- What does solitude look like in your life?
- What are the biggest barriers to practicing solitude?
- How can Jesus’ example of prioritizing solitude reshape your pursuit of time alone with God?