Stillness and Solitude
- The Narrow Path
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16, NIV).
When I first wrote a devotion with this title, being still was hard for me. As I've walked with Jesus over the years, I've come to appreciate the stillness so much more. Though I keep my schedule pretty full, my desire to spend quite time alone with the Lord has increased immensely.
How do you feel about stillness? Is it difficult for you to sit quietly with the Lord?
These used to be words that rattled my emotions and played on a sense of loneliness. We're all so busy and everything is about moving forward. I think sometimes we learn the art of being busy as a way to avoid facing what the Lord may be whispering to our hearts.
Getting that promotion.
Building a bigger house.
Being involved more in the community.
While all of those things can be good, I think many of us would admit it's easy to get caught up in focusing on the next thing. Instead, what might it look like for us to place more value on spiritual pauses in our life?
We always look at ourselves in the mirror when we're dressed up, but do we allow ourselves to pause when that image staring back at us appears bruised, and beaten? Unfortunately for some, that may be a physical truth. But for many others, it's true of the state of our hearts and souls.
Luke 5:16 reminds us that even Jesus, who was the perfect Son of the Father, withdrew to pause and pray:
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
What if we starting getting intentional about finding stillness, solitude, and seclusion with Jesus? A spiritual pause requires us to remain in a space long enough for God to reveal, and eventually heal, our human brokenness through His divine, spiritual presence.
The pause might be messy and at times, overwhelmingly difficult. Yet, as I stand where I am today after many tears, hours spent with a Christian counselor, prayers and quiet time with God, I can confidently encourage you not to be afraid of the pause.
This God breathed truth can help you be courageous enough to step out into the process of receiving the heart change God has for you. Be patient. Be still. Listen and allow God to move. The process may look different for you than it has for me, but when we learn to find stillness and solitude with Jesus, we can begin to live as daughters and sons of the King. And that will be the most life changing thing you'll ever do.
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