The Practice Of Solitude

by R. ARMSTRONG, Toronto, Canada | Category: General | Aug 1961

Amid the Complexities of twentieth-Century living with its stresses, tensions and anxieties, the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples seem to take on fresh meaning,

"Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while" (Mark 6.81).

How well the Lord knew the need of leaving the constant hum of human activity for seasons of "being apart" with Himself!

An unbalanced spirituality has been created in many Christian lives by over emphasis of what is Called spiritual activity. If we could see much of this activity in the pure light of God's presence, we would be shocked to discover how much of the carnal mind has been projected into divine service.

Insufficient spiritual preparation is undoubtedly a root cause of many a fruitless endeavour. There is always a high price to be paid in devotion to obtain the blessing of the Lord in service. For every hour spent in "active service," there should be many hours spent in secret service." Let us face it; there is not, and never has been, a short cut, or an easy way, to blessing in the service of God. There seems to be no time for stillness and quietness today, and this lack leads to spiritual poverty, and robs all affected by it of present blessing and future reward.

Everyone has an affinity with persons and things in leisure hours, and we need to take stock of "where," and "in what," and "with whom" we spend the hours not used in the normal demands of life. "The thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet of earlier and quieter times. But where, we ask, in the hurry and clamour of present day living, can such solitude be found? We must re-discover the secret of simplicity and solitude in our day, and know an inward hungering after God if we are to be imitators of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Being born-again is by the exercise of simple faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary, and by being baptized and added to a church of God we reveal a submission of the will to the claims of our risen Lord, but the growing up "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," ... and being "filled unto all the fulness of God," can only be realized by being habitually in "the secret place of the Most High" (Psalm 91.1). This kind of development belongs to the private life of the believer, and results from spending much time in the presence of the Lord.

It is true that modern science has provided men with many comforts and has eased their physical burdens, but in so doing has robbed their souls by surrounding them with a world of things hostile to the entrance of spiritual light. There seems no doubt that the influence of such materialism has intruded to some extent, into the lives of God's people, and, as a consequence, spiritual values are becoming distorted, being out of focus, consequently godly men are ceasing! David knew the value of solitude and of being alone in his day, whether beneath the starry heavens through long night watches (Psalm 19), or when he said,

"Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still" (Psalm 4.4).

Great saints and godly souls of former days had many such experiences in solitude and communion with God. There are many things related to every day living which are right and proper in themselves, but there are also things provided for human enjoyment, which have now become a menace to spiritual life, and, as a result, no place, even in the Christian home, seems to be safe from the world's intrusion. It is vital that things temporal should not be allowed to dominate any part of our lives and occupy the place that belongs to Christ.

It is only by self-discipline that we can experience the luxury of solitude in the secret chamber, where the soul that thirsts for God will find Him. There on bended knee he will stay, deliberately shutting out every voice, until his soul becomes sensitive to the presence of God. God's voice, only with difficulty, can be heard amid the noise and din of earthly things. His is the "still small voice," and we must be quiet to hear Him speak. May our soul's desire be, "Let me hear Thy voice." What visions of eternity, and of the Man who fills the heart and throne of God will be ours, as we thus stay in the secret meeting place. May we determine, as far as possible, to shut out the world's unpleasant sounds and listen daily for His voice. As our longing spirits reach upward to His presence, let us pray for a single eye to His glory, and seek after simplicity in daily living. May we stop competing with others, and shut out pride, vanity, resentment and jealousy, and go in for child-like trust, candour and frankness in our relationships with others. These things, together with prayerful reading of and meditation on His enriching word, will go far towards neutralizing the evils of what goes on around us, as we seek to worship and serve Him whom our souls love. Thus we may know the fulfilment of the word;

"The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4.7).

R. ARMSTRONG, Toronto, Canada | Aug 1961
General