There’s A Place For Solitude In All Our Lives
There are two ways we learn from the Bible. The first is how you would expect, through instructions. For example, we’re told, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” Ephesians 4:32. This verse teaches us that 1) anger isn’t automatically sin, 2) it’s something we have to be careful about, 3) we’re not supposed to stay angry at people. The Bible is filled with teaching like this to help us in our Christian lives.
A second way we learn from the Bible is by examples, both good and bad. The Bible is full of stories that tell us about how people succeeded and failed in various circumstances. As we read them we learn lessons that help us through life. There are some topics that the Bible doesn’t instruct us about that we only learn about this way, such as seeking solitude. Some people reject the idea that solitude is important for Christians because there’s no verse in the Bible that says to seek solitude. Those same people, however, don’t reject the idea of going to church even though there’s no verse that explicitly says to go to church.
The best way to learn about the value of solitude is from Jesus’ life. We’re fortunate that the Bible records a number of times when Jesus separated himself from people. In looking through these we can see there were 6 different reasons why Jesus spent time alone.
6 Reasons Jesus Chose Solitude Over People
- To prepare for a major task Luke 4:1-2, 14-15. After Jesus was baptized He spent 40 days praying in the wilderness. After this He was tempted by Satan and then began His public ministry.
- To recharge after hard work Mark 6:30-32. Jesus sent the 12 disciples out to do ministry. When they returned He encouraged them to separate from the people who were following them to rest.
- To work through grief Matthew 14:1-13. After Jesus learned that his cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded, He went away by Himself. Yes, even the Son of God grieves.
- Before making an important decision Luke 6:12-13. Early in His ministry Jesus spent the whole night alone in prayer. The next day He chose his 12 disciples.
- In a time of distress Luke 22:39-44. Hours before Jesus was arrested He went to the Mt. of Olives and went a short distance away from His disciples to pray. He was in great emotional agony knowing what he was about to face.
- To focus on prayer Luke 5:16. Many times in Jesus’ ministry He spent time alone in prayer.
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Solitude can benefit us greatly if we use that time to sort through with the Father whatever is on our minds and in our hearts. Think about your day and plan to carve out some time to spend alone with the Father.
Do you find it hard to spend time in solitude? Why is it hard to do? Leave a comment or question below.
