Being Challenge Kids: An 11-Day Challenge to Be Like JesusSample

Habit 4: We Stop for Solitude

Yesterday we talked about what solitude is: spending time alone with God.

So, what do you do when you’re alone with God? How does it work? For answers, let’s look at five key questions about solitude.

• Who? It’s just you and Jesus. No one else.
• Where? Go to a quiet place without any screens, people, or other distractions. One great place is your bedroom.
• When? You can be alone with God any time of the day or evening. Whatever works best. Maybe first thing in the morning or right after school. Perhaps you’re all alone at bedtime.
• Why? We do this to grow in our relationship with God.
• How? When spending time with God, think about a line from a song or a Bible verse. Say it out loud or repeat it in your head. Think about how wonderful God is or something amazing He has done.

You don’t have to spend time with God in the quietest room in the world. But it helps if we turn off our loud, noisy, and distracting devices. So, turn off the TV and your phone.

One of Jesus’s most common phrases was: “He who has ears, let him listen!” He didn’t say, “He who has earbuds, let him listen” or “He who has headphones on, let him listen.” It’s difficult to hear God’s voice when your ears are filled with noise. So, open your ears. God is speaking to you.

King David in the Bible said he would rather spend time with God than do anything else. “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere,” says Psalm 84:10.

Challenge: Try to unplug today. Spend at least one hour putting all of your digital devices away. Go for as long as you can. In addition to unplugging from your screens, spend some of that time in solitude.