Getting quiet, alone, and distraction-free is one of and if not the best, way to connect with God. Undivided attention so you can be with the relationship that should be the most important one for you is pretty important.
Any soul who has no solitary place alone with God is in supreme peril spiritually. - Oswald Chambers
Perspective
So I’ve been spending probably 40 days on a 30-day devotion plan. Some of you might recognize the fellow's name that asserted this statement. If you do, you know he has some provocative thoughts on spirituality. This is probably the most provocative I have read to date. Also, one that I sort of agree with as well.
Our lives are made up of a numbered amount of days. We are placed here at a time when what we can provide to this world is needed. None of us are pawns in some creator-invented chess game. We are all very significant in this intertwined world, and in those micro-systems, we are in with all those other significant people around us. Do you share this perspective? Have you ever thought of life in this way?
For me, it seems so very clear. We live in a world of circular influences. That's the circle around each of us, and in those circles, we experience interconnections with other circles. You might think of a Venn Diagram if you are a chart type.
In this overlapping area, we can and do influence others in our lives. That is a very important thing to consider about ourselves. No matter who we are or what we do, our life impacts others in our circles. Unfortunately, many of us do not consider the kind of impact we do have. But we also don't appreciate just how impacted we can be by those others in our lives. The door swings both ways on this idea.
So our life impacts others, others impact us, and we have the information age impacting us. It used to be people would spend hours in front of a TV set or listening to a radio. Now, we have it in our pockets that can influence our day all day. Plus, we have very smart people who fill up our "feed" with things that trigger chemical reactions in us to make us keep coming back.
So this is where I think Oswald was heading about our soul.
With the bombardment of life, it is very easy to be so distracted that we neglect to spend the time to reconnect with our Heavenly Father. With the creator who placed us here to have those impacts on those in our circle of impact. Without that connection, we are left to our ways. We are left with our feelings, perspectives, and reactions to all the stimuli we receive. If we do not get purposeful and make this time for our soul, it can easily get crowded out by this bombardment.
Now this bombardment comes in so many forms. It isn't just the apparent villain in social media. It is also in relationships with people who are not investing in us. Who is not making our lives a better life? You know these people. They can be caustic, gossiping, complainers, victims, or needy. Those types are very selfish and self-centered at the neglect of the "us" in that Venn Diagram. For them, there is no "us." It is only "ME" and "you" are a means to my end.
I've been in small groups where I felt I needed to leave that group because there were too many "needy" people. Startling, I'm sure, and for those of you who believe in small groups, as do I, it might seem a bit harsh. After all, isn't a group intended for us to do life together? I hear often that we are better in circles and not in rows. Accurate as that is, groups have to be solid, and when you have too many "needy" people, they drag the group down. They even fill the "Prayer Request" list with simply too many requests for their needy life.
I value alone time with God—the Solitary confinement with Him. Jesus did as well. So many references to Him going off to be with His Father. To be alone and not be pulled away from it by the many who selfishly wanted a piece of Jesus. No doubt Jesus was praying for these people as well. It wasn't about Jesus during that time with God. Jesus was getting with God, asking, receiving, and simply resting in that relationship. That relationship is transformational if allowed.
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 NIV
Unfortunately, so many people "practice" faith and neglect the core tenants of faith. That core is a respect for and a strong desire to relate with God. To be open to being led by God and to witness God in those interactions and impacts within our circles. To impact others by being driven by God through the Holy Spirit to do our part. I do not understand how anyone can be fully living a God-centered and connected life without going into this Solitary confinement with Him. I don't know how you can strip away you so that you can be influenced by Him.
If we are honest with ourselves, we should see that we can all do a better job at getting solitary. We can better adopt the model that Jesus shared through the gospels. We can do a better job of being honest with ourselves about how we are influenced and how we influence. We can do a better job of staying in our lanes to honor and respect another lane. We can and should do a better job of being that impactful person, not for ourselves but for the Creator who placed us here to be that impactful person.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for people like Oswald Chambers who provoke us. Those brave enough to speak their minds to help open up our own. Thank you to Jesus, who demonstrated what being centered and connected looks like. Thank you for the authors of the various parts of the Bible that we get to lean into to help us in our relationship with you. Father, please give us the willingness to get solitary with you. To hear from you and to be led by you and not ourselves. To have that Holy Spirit be so evident in our day that we can't help but notice it and appreciate how powerful it is for our souls. God, please keep us, our families, and our friends safe. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. Amen.
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