Have you ever realized just how often Jesus spent time by Himself in silence or attempted to do so? It’s generally estimated that Jesus official ministry lasted for only about three years, yet throughout the Gospels we constantly see Jesus trying to get away from the crowds to spend time with the Father in silence.
Many of us, if told that we had only a few years to fulfill our life’s purpose, would be scrambling to accomplish as much as possible. Isn’t that what we do? We try to cram more into our days, weeks, and years than is possible.
And yet it isn’t just something Jesus does because He is the Son of God. He teaches his disciples to do the same. Like in Mark chapter 6 when he tells them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” Or in Luke chapter 9 when he is praying alone and his disciples are there with him. Read through the Gospels, and you’ll notice that taking time for silence and solitude is a consistent piece of Jesus’ ministry.
So what is it about going off by yourself and spending time in silence that is so worth doing? Why does Christ not only model this, but teach this?
If God is not to be found in the spectacles, but in the quiet, then it is a good reason to spend some time in silence.
In a nutshell, Scripture indicates that we need to have silence in our lives to be able to listen well to God. Take the story of Elijah, for example. He is in hiding from the people of Israel. They’ve turned from God (yet again), and this time are intent on taking down all the prophets of the LORD.
Elijah is full of questions – he has done things right by God, but bad things are happening to him. It has made him feel lost and confused, and he wants to hear from God in this time of persecution. So, he goes out to the mouth of the cave he is hiding in and waits for God. Strong winds, earthquakes, and fires pass by, but God is not heard in them. No, God speaks in the whisper that follows.
If God is not to be found in the spectacles, but in the quiet, then it is a good reason to spend some time in silence. Because don’t we also find ourselves looking for answers? We wonder where God is in hard times. We seek His will and His answers to our prayers.
So What Stops Us?
Our modern culture isn’t too keen on taking time to step aside from the rat race to spend time in silence listening for God. It isn’t often acceptable to take time to be alone. It goes against productivity and constant tech connection, which are highly valued, to practice silence and solitude.
Yet Jesus offers us the invitation to come and rest in Him. In John 10, Jesus tells us that He comes to bring life to the fullest. If He teaches that it is good to spend time in silence and solitude, you can be sure that it contributes to the overall Christian walk.
Brothers and sisters, if you are struggling to hear from God, or your find yourself distracted by the world, or even if everything is going splendidly for you right now today, you are invited to take time to prioritize some silence and solitude to be with God. Carve out space when you can listen for God. Give yourself permission to set aside the rat race you are in and live out one of the teachings of Jesus.
May you discover the blessings that are only discovered when we slow down long enough to hear from our God and experience God in the present moment.
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