Being and Becoming: Solitude
Written by Stephen Buckley
As I thought recently about writing this blog post, my mind was flooded with memories: the day I decided to make a high-risk career move; a grim season when God comforted my anguished heart; the night I knew I would marry the woman I was dating.
Those memories all have one thing in common: Each time, I was alone, fellowshipping with God.
Nurturing solitude as a spiritual discipline can be a challenge in a culture where so many interests and obligations beckon us: social media, podcasts, Netflix, hobbies, neighbors, sporting events, children, significant others, spouses. Some of those people and activities are essential to our lives. And yet, God is always calling us to enjoy him. Alone.
Solitude spooks some people, particularly those of us who are Type A’s. It invokes melancholy images of lonely treks through fog-shrouded woods under brooding skies, or hours of gazing into the depth of our souls, hollow-eyed and hungry, after which all we want is a sandwich. We worry that it’ll be a waste of time.
That has not been my experience. In my life, Christ-focused solitude has just meant hanging out with God, just the two of us, as I share my heart with him and listen for what He has to say to mine.
In these moments and hours (and, occasionally, days), I meditate on scripture; I sing songs of worship; I pour out my heart, sometimes in lament; I wait. Eventually, my burdens lift, replaced by a renewed sense of shalom, of well-being. God reminds me that He delights in me. That he is both sovereign and good. That I am his beloved.
Oftentimes, the benefits are more concrete but no less profound. He has shown me how to handle a conflict, given me clarity about major decisions (see: proposing to Cathleen), prepared my heart for a challenging life event, and left me mentally and even physically refreshed.
We see the same in the Bible. The Gospels suggest us that Jesus often went off to pray by himself. Moses, Joseph, David, John the Baptist, Paul, John the Disciple and others all spent much time in solitude before and during their unique, God-sized assignments. These occasions—sometimes self-imposed, sometimes thrust upon them—allowed them to build an intimacy with God that undergirded their ministry.
Preach from the overflow, the legendary evangelist Billy Graham used to say, which meant that he wanted his sermons to be an outgrowth of his private time with Jesus. So it is with us. When we get away with our Lord and immerse ourselves in his presence, he provides all we need —faith, courage, patience, grace, compassion, and more—to be Jesus for others in this world. It is an investment that pays eternal dividends.
Written by Stephen Buckley