Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living

“Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!” (Isaiah 5:8, KJV). 

 

The late humorist Erma Bombeck joked about the mother who tried to get away from her family by hiding in the clothes closet, only to hear the dog whining on the other side of the door.  Sometimes you just can’t win.

For many people, solitude is associated with loneliness or isolation; but for others, it’s a means of renewal, of recharging the batteries, and coming to grips with themselves and with others.

The city of Hong Kong has a population of over 7 million, in an area of about 200 square miles, making it the most densely populated city on earth.  Some people rent cubical apartments that are only the size of a single bed. To get away and be by yourself is no small task there.  Too much “togetherness” can be as devastating as too much isolation.  Centuries ago, Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room, so that you have to live in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 5:8).

Psychologists say that periods of solitude allow a person to file away the experiences of life in the mind and sort through things mentally.  Being alone allows for a kind of mental house cleaning–a time of quietness when you can simply think.  Different people meet that need in different ways.

Christ Himself gave us an example by His conduct.  Repeatedly He would withdraw from the multitude and find a place of solitude.  The writers of the Gospels tell us that often Christ went to the desert or up on a mountain to pray. It was His time to renew His fellowship with the Father and to keep His priorities straight.  There is a telling phrase found in John’s Gospel as he says, “Every man went into his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.”  Among the gnarled olive trees, Christ found quiet solitude.  The Apostle Paul spent the first three years of his Christian life in the solitude of a desert.  Was it a waste of time? No! Time of reassessment and preparation.

The difference between many creative people and the rest of us is that creative people often take time away from the crowd to nourish the spirit of creativity.  This is one of the reasons that every believer should take time from each day’s schedule to spend in the presence of Jesus.  Call it your personal devotions, your quiet time, or what you will– you need time away from the press of life to read and meditate upon the Word of God, and then to renew your fellowship with God by talking to Him…and listening.  Like many people, you won’t find time for that. . .you must make time for it.  When it is all said and done, you have to agree that we have time for what we consider important.

Time in the presence of God isn’t wasted time. To the contrary, it is the creative period that gives you clear vision and helps you get your priorities straight.  It is that period when you can renew your spiritual life and wash the cobwebs from the windows of your soul.  Try it.   Take ten minutes from each day and spend them in prayer and meditation on the Word of God.

When you do, you’ll find Jesus waiting for you and you’ll find wisdom in His Word that will meet your deepest needs.  After one week, look back and analyze what has happened.  Then decide if it wasn’t the best part of every day.

 

Resource reading:  Luke 6:12-13, Mark 3:13