Solitude is much like breathing in while community is more like breathing out. To consistently submit to God’s desires, we must make room and take time to know the Father’s heart in places of solitude, prayer and reading scripture. From these private places with God come powerful expressions in community from having been alone with the Creator of the Universe!
Introverts tend to migrate toward the practice of solitude while extroverts tends to migrate toward the practice of community. Solitude bares the resemblance of breathing in. Community bares the resemblance of breathing out. Both are important serving the purpose of making the other more effective! Jesus modeled a healthy balance for us to observe so we might be inspired to put this into practice.
Healthy solitude is being alone with God. Deep spiritual concentration requires us to be free from distraction of all other sources of input. If you are in the constant presence of people you will become overstimulated and underdeveloped.
Solitude awakens the non-anxious disposition to love others well.
Heathy community is experiencing a deep connection with God and others awakening something powerful within you that you cannot experience alone.
We clearly see a strong relationship in the life of Jesus between his devotion to solitude and his connection to power.
Luke 5:16-17 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. 17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. NIV
Jesus spent time with The Father receiving what was needed for what was next. Before choosing the 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-13). Before feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21). Before walking on water (Matthew 14:23). Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray and prepare for what was ahead.
If Jesus, the Son of God, prioritized solitude to stay connected to the Father, how much more do we need to do the same?
God is inviting us into a deeper place. A deeper place comes with a greater price but great is the reward for those who diligently seek Him.
John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ESV
These two practices look different in every stage and season of your life but do whatever it takes to discover a healthy rhythm of these breath-like life-sustaining behaviors no matter what season of life you’re in!
GP2RL: Explore purposeful solitude this week and engage in authentic community.
