From YouVersion App Devotional, “Reconnection”

Day 2: Solitude

I believe that solitude is hardwired into the human experience. If you are a believer in something greater than yourself, you would say that God created us with solitude as a major pillar in our existence.

But we have wiped it out.

And you know what? It’s not necessarily our relationship with our phones that is the problem. Dare I say that the root of the problem is our relationship with solitude? It’s like when you hire a nutritionist, and after two days of eating great you slip back into old habits. And suddenly you begin avoiding this nutritionist at all costs. Even though you know this person is bringing you advice and accountability that’s necessary and good for you, you would just rather be numb and lazy. Just like we know that a conversation with our nutritionist is going to call attention to our poor eating habits, we all know that time spent in solitude is going to call attention to things in our lives that we really don’t want to confront.

Do you think that maybe we don’t know what to do with the wrestling that solitude brings? A life without wrestling feels like a safer life, right? Well, maybe it’s safer in some respects, but I can tell you that it’s a dangerous threat when it comes to your ability to simply be. . . .

Reclaiming some sort of solitude in your life may seem almost impossible. But let me tell you something, . . . not only is solitude available to you, it’s going to produce more living your life instead of your life living you.

My Thoughts

Since I am retired now, I do have quite a bit of alone time. My husband stays up very late and gets up usually after noon sometime. I, on the other hand, go to bed early and get up early. I think the whole early thing is hard-wired into my system because even when I try to stay up late, I still wake up early. Anyway, I always have about four hours every morning of solitude. That is my time when I can do my devotionals, talk to God and listen to Him and start my day right. I think I would like to do more of walking around in His beautiful world while I think and pray but I physically cannot do that much anymore. So, I have to be content with what God has provided, a chair with a window next to me where I can see outside.

I agree that solitude is hard and not my first choice. I used to play Christian music as I prayed and read my Bible. But, I found that was distracting me from really hearing from the Lord. I really want to live all of the life that God wants me to live in the best way possible. I think this author’s advice is spot on. Sometimes we don’t want to be alone and hear what we think and what the Holy Spirit is prodding us to do. But in His great mercy, God will provide the time for solitude if we will just use it the way He wants us to. Even Jesus needed time alone with His Father. And He told his disciples to come away and rest. That’s what I think solitude should be…just resting in God’s presence.