About a year ago, when I started my journey to knowing the Lord in a much deeper way, I knew that the best way to know him was by spending time with him, the same way I deepen my friendships by spending more time with my friends. It was time to go beyond knowing about him, to knowing him. That was all I desired and wanted. The only thing I asked from the Lord and the only thing I sought was that I would continuously feel his presence and delight in his beauty.
I spent times of solitude with the Lord by meditating on his word and works, speaking to him and hearing from him, whenever I thought about him during the day and night. I also set aside dedicated times- an hour every morning, fifteen minutes every evening, a few hours on Sunday, and one day every month when I could retreat to a time of silence, away from distraction and just be. With him.
For a season, I prayed for absolutely nothing else – only more of Jesus. The more I desired and sought him, the more real he became to me and the nearer he drew to me. Over time, I longed to spend even more time with him because it became the only place where I could always go to refresh and feed my spirit and soul and be energized.
Research shows that exceptional creativity often happens in a place of silent solitude because shutting out the outside world helps you focus attentively on your craft, without distraction. In our world of constant distractions with all the notifications from our mobile devices, places to go and things to see, more times of silence is required to think or create your best work1.
As God’s child, silence and solitude offers even more benefits when you take time out from the busyness of life, to just hang out with your Father, especially whenever you feel that void in you which hunger, thirst, sleep, friendships, work, or mindless phone browsing cannot fix. There is a vacuum in man, created when Adam sinned, that can be filled by absolutely no one or nothing on earth but in solitude – fellowshipping with God, listening to him and meditating on his word and works. Have you ever felt this vacuum? Do you prioritize your time with God over people in your life and things happening in your life? This is what a true disciple of Christ does. He loves nothing and no one more than his creator.
The more you practice solitude, the more you will realize that many of the body sensations you feel that often lead you to indulge in comfort foods, shopping till you drop or binge watching TV, are actually your soul crying out to God for sustenance. You will learn to differentiate the needs of your soul from physical or emotional needs. You will learn the meaning of not living by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, which is feeding the hunger and satisfying the thirst of your spirit and soul.
Although part of Jesus’ work on earth was to share the good news with the Jews and do signs and wonders among them, he also knew the priority of spending time with his heavenly Father. He often left his disciples and the crowds to go spend quality time in solitude- in desolate, remote, and secluded places. He knew he needed to recharge his spirit and soul, through prayer, for the work he was doing on earth. Jesus knew that without power from his father, he could do absolutely nothing.
When he was tempted, Jesus faced the same challenges we face today. Although he had been in solitude for 40 days and nights, he still longed to hear from his father. However, his body sensations made him believe that bread for the body was what he needed at that time. Because he was mindful of his spirit, soul and body, he was able to prioritize the voice of God and resist the urge to turn stone into bread.
Solitude is the place to recharge your spirit and soul whenever you have become disoriented in life and need to re-find your true north. It empowers you with the strength to endure and persevere in doing the good works God has prepared for you to do in Christ Jesus.
This time of solitude is a time of true rest for your soul and the power received from it helps you stand firm even in the worst storms of life. You attain a healthier spirit and soul, which is the foundation for living in optimal health and you also become an instrument of healing to others, which ultimately has eternal rewards. Solitude is the path to recharge for a healthier spirit and soul.
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1. https://www.inc.com/thomas-oppong/the-science-of-silence-how-solitude-enriches-creative-work.html