Learn to Be AloneSample

Give Space

The opening lines of Psalms 8, 9, and 10 suggest a few of the many emotions the psalmist brought before the Lord in solitude, from praise to thanksgiving to utter angst.

The sheer honesty may even make you a tad uncomfortable. Are we allowed to talk to God like that?

According to the Psalmist, yes. Because solitude is a safe place, a place where we can bear our souls, naked and unashamed, and commune with the Father. In that space, our desire intertwines with His, leaving us feeling more seen, known, and loved.

In solitude, we also find answers. Because we often read the Psalms continuously, we tend to believe the psalmist wrote them continuously, as if all these revelations came to his mind at once. But that’s not how writing works. Even as I write, I’ve stopped, taken breaks, reverted, revised, and redacted.

If only the writing of words could be as smooth as reading them!

But Psalm 15 takes issue with any such idea. There we see one example of David seeking answers in the quiet place and giving his soul time to receive from the Lord: “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” (Psalm 15:1, NIV).

David asks the question and then seems to answer it on behalf of the Lord. Did he receive immediate revelation? I doubt it. I believe David asked the question and then waited for the Lord to speak. Perhaps minutes, hours, or even days elapsed before verses 2 to 5 came to be.

An answer eventually came to David’s quiet, centered heart. In the quiet place, solitude, we can find answers to our questions.

My friend, do you need to catch your breath?

Has the never-ending noisiness of life drowned out your true self?

When you look in the mirror, do you know who stares back at you? If not, then Jesus has an invitation for you. Here’s how Eugene Peterson paraphrases the words of Jesus: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-29, MSG, emphasis added).

Does your soul leap at such an invitation? If so, perhaps the time has come to begin blazing a trail of solitude in your life. Such solitude kept David sane in the most difficult moments of life. It kept him humble in his most humiliating moments. And it provided a space to freely worship, celebrate, and honor God in his best moments.

Has noise driven you to the edge? If so, come back to Jesus. Take a real rest. Get alone with God. And allow Him to blaze new trails in your soul - trails that will become springs of living water, allowing you to become who God created you to be.

Solitude provides space for us to be vulnerable, ask questions, receive answers, and enter true rest. But only the bold—those willing to face their true selves—end up reaping the benefits of this practice. Solitude delivers a centered spirit impossible to replicate outside of the crucible of quiet.

Will you blaze the trail?