This is part 5 of a 9-part series. View the entire series here.
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find Him. When they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons. – Mark 1:35-39 NLT
Introduction
Shadows curl up the wall of a dimly lit office. The room is quiet. A warm glow flows from the lamp onto the papers laid neatly across the desk. For hours, the seasoned attorney has poured over the case. Each of his thoughts is meticulously captured. Every point tested against the evidence at hand.
He takes a deep breath as he puts the cap gently back on his pen. With briefcase packed, he walks briskly out the door.
The attorney blows into the courtroom, past the jury, and toward the stand. He takes his seat beside the defendant. The judge swings her gavel down with a sickening smack. The courtroom is buzzing with anticipation. The judge calls the defense forward. The attorney takes one last look at his notes before calmly standing to his feet. With an air of confidence, he looks from jury to judge and begins to state his case.
Silence and Sending
From the start of His public ministry, Jesus was under the magnifying glass of society. Every move was tracked and every word noted. It’s not surprising that Jesus made a point to remove Himself from the crowds—and even His closest friends—to be alone.
Jesus used solitude as a way to collect His thoughts, spend time in prayer, and allow His social battery to recharge. It wasn’t a lack of love or frustration with people that forced Him to remove Himself. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Jesus wanted to continue loving people with purity––and that meant taking time to focus His body, mind, and spirit on the Lord. It meant removing the excess noise to tune His ear to the voice of the Father. All so that He could step back into life with the masses.
Solitude as a Discipline
Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, solitude is a practice all believers should practice. It gives us margin to care for ourselves. It creates a space for us to hear from God. It prepares us to be sent out for a holy purpose.
When we implement solitude as a spiritual discipline, we must do so with intentionality. Both to keep it on our calendar, but also to remember that solitude is meant to prepare us to be sent back out. So we find time to pull away and be with God. And then, reinvigorated, we step into the ups and downs of life with our eyes fixed steadfastly upon Jesus.
