IsolationSýnishorn

Life sometimes isolates us. We might be surrounded by people, yet we are alone. It may be a long journey, a long flight or train or sometimes there might be a delay to get to your destination and you’re waiting to get home. For some, it may be a hospital visit, a weeklong or for some, even longer. What do we do with isolation? Most of us can recall the lockdown a few years ago when the whole world came to a standstill. What were the thoughts going through your mind? Why does God allow such long isolation experiences? Why does he even do it at all?

Let me present to you that these times of isolation can be some of the best times of your life and you will learn to go back to it proactively to refresh yourselves if there are certain things in place in regard to why and how God uses times of isolation in our lives.

Let’s look at this story we find in the gospel of Mark. We see that it’s been a long day. The disciples are coming back to Jesus and reporting all that they have done and taught. And in verse 32 Jesus says to them “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while”. As we carry on reading, we see that many people were coming and going, and they were so busy that they did not even get time to eat! How beautiful to hear these words from the mouth of the Messiah himself, when your Lord says good job, come, rest a while now. He’s going to say that in the future as well.

Sometimes, God will isolate you to refresh your spirit. God believes in service, He himself serves, he wants us to serve, but having served 6 days, He rests, and he wants us to rest as well. And sometimes when you don’t rest, when you don’t take your foot off the pedal, where you don’t allow for that rhythm in your life and observe the sabbath regularly, God will set you aside. Whether that’s a period of sickness or lockdown, God will isolate you so that you can refresh your spirit.