Unrushed Living: Embracing Simplicity and Savoring Life's MomentsSample

Solitude: Alone and Content

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. LUKE 5:16

Loneliness, she’d come to realize, had little to do with being around other people. She could be in a room full of friends and feel lonely. And she could be alone all day and feel more connected than ever. So, what was the variable? For her it was Jesus. The more sure she was of her identity in Christ, the more content she was to be who she was, where she was, whomever she was with.

Have you ever been lonely in a crowded room? Or at a family gathering? If you know loneliness, it's probably based on your desire to be seen and known in a personal way. It’s not wrong to have those desires, because it’s the way God made each of us—to be cared about and connected to those we care about. Loneliness is distinctly different from being alone. Being alone is also something we’re made for. Time with God alone is sacred time, when He gets us all to ourselves and reveals Himself to us in really personal ways. We all have unique makeups. How He relates to you is going to be different from how He relates to me. It’s in the sacred solitude that we build trust in Him and experience His singular pleasure toward us. And in the solitude, we learn to communicate honestly and effectively with Him. What about you? Do you confuse being alone with loneliness? Aloneness is a gift, and loneliness is something you can give to Him in your solitude. He’ll do something beautiful with both.

God,

it is in Your goodness that I find myself resting in Your presence. You have shown Your faithfulness countless times. May I continue to trust You and not my own thoughts. May my mindset change to reflect more of You and less of me, as I walk in the Spirit and not in my flesh. I pray that as I remain close to You, I will continue to pray fervently.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.