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The Loveliness of Loneliness

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35)

Picture the scene: you've come home from school, it's late in the evening, and all your extra-curricular activities are over. You cannot wait to unwind. There's so many options- what to do? Perhaps you grab some grub, catch some cable, beautify in the bath, or start some studies.

The problem is that you feel totally wiped out. It isn't that you've done anything earth shaking today, but you just feel drained. Just when you sit down to rest your weary bones, the phone rings. It's Megan, a friend who has been having a few problems at school. She proceeds to talk, and talk some more. Then she goes on to chatter, mutter, natter, and basically unload on you. You try to give her some advice and 'be there' for her, but it's obvious she wants to just keep on the challenging chitchat. After a long listening session, you are finally able to hang up the phone. Yet by this time you are emotionally and physically worn out. You are desperate to go to bed. Your head hits the pillow, and just as you are slipping off into dreamland, the doorbell rings. You open the door, and standing on the lawn is your entire high school class! They decided to come over and have you help them with all their difficult homework assignments. After all, you happen to be the smartest person in your grade.

Sound impossible? Perhaps, yet something very similar happened to Jesus Christ.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. (Mark 1:32)

After Christ had been teaching and ministering all day long, the entire town decides to stop by His house because they still had more problems to be solved. Except in this case these people wanted more than just advice on school or homework, they needed their sick to be healed and demons driven out of the possessed. So Jesus helps them, and at last the people leave. Christ is now totally exhausted and in extreme need of relaxation.

I don't know about you, but if I had a day like that, I would turn off the alarm clock and plan on sleeping in.

Jesus had other priorities.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

Jesus had an exhausting day, so He makes a conscious decision to barely sleep and intentionally wake up early! Why?

Jesus knew He needed solitude—not just sleep time, or "chill-out" time, but alone time with God. He understood that He needed to find someplace where He could truly connect and converse with the source of his strength: His Father. All the tiresome toil in the world would not keep our Savior from experiencing the lovely loneliness of spiritual solace in the presence of the King.

What should that say to us? If the Son of God Himself needed a reflective respite with the Redeemer, how much more do we? It is during our quiet moments with God that He comforts, convicts, and conducts. Solitude is where God renews our hearts and gives us new purpose. It is the one place where we find can discover true peace as God reveals Himself to us.

Solitude is an indispensable part of our Christian lives. If we are to grow in our relationship with Christ and have the courage to share our faith, then we must consistently fall down and look up. Jesus must have known this; otherwise He would have slept in. What's your schedule look like tomorrow?

Questions:

  1. How important do you think it is to have time alone with God?
  2. What might be some results if you never spend time alone with God?
  3. How would spending time with God affect your testimony for Christ?