“How have you been lately?”
“Busy, very busy!”
“Busy” is a four-letter word that should be profane. Our lives so easily become full of responsibilities and commitments that dogpile on top of us—and our souls get crushed under the load.
Theologian and pastor Eugene Peterson, in his book The Contemplative Pastor, offers these biting thoughts concerning busyness:
“I am busy because I am vain. I want to appear important. Significant. What a better way than being busy? The incredible hours, the crowded schedule, and the heavy demands on my time are proof to myself—and to all who will notice—that I am important. I am busy because I am lazy. I indolently let others decide what I will do instead of deciding myself.”
Finding Solitude
Why are we so busy? Where is the solitude in our lives? Have we found our own Mount of Olives—a place of quiet contemplation?
There are many reasons to cultivate the discipline of solitude, but here’s a big one: If Jesus consistently practiced solitude, then we should follow his example. In the four Gospel accounts there are 10 occasions when Jesus removed himself from the crowds to be alone for renewal and focus.
So how can we cultivate the practice of solitude in a way that is both reasonable and realistic?
How to Practice Solitude
Here are several simple suggestions to begin the practice of solitude:
- Place: We need a suitable place that is free of distractions. That might require escaping the office or the home. It might be more realistic to have several different places in mind.
- Time: We need a steady, consistent time. Don’t be fooled by the notion that early morning is the best time. Some people are just not that sharp in the morning. What is the best time for you to be quietly focused?
- Quality: Solitude can happen in short bursts and longer stretches. Start with a shorter time, but be realistic. Incremental success is better than grand failure. Duration is important, but above all you want a quality experience of solitude.
- Purpose: Define the purpose of your solitude. You may want to have several purposes in mind. Some of us need consistency, while others need variety.
Find Your Quiet Center
After recovering from a life-threating heart attack, an old university professor friend told me that a passage in the Bible had now became very real to him: “Be still, and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).
“If we are never still,” he said to me, “How much do we really know God?”
It is not easy to “be still” in our culture where life changes at an exponential pace. We will not find our Mount of Olives, our quiet center, unless we are very intentional in doing so. It will not come by accident.
Make the effort to avoid busy and embrace solitude. Be still.
(Excerpted from the book, At Full Strength by Denny Howard with Hugh White, copyright 2019.)