The Adventure of Solitude
What is Solitude?
Solitude is more than just being alone—it is a sacred space set apart for God. It is a time when we unplug from the noise of life, withdrawing from distractions to be fully present with Him. Whether a few minutes or a few days, this practice must be driven by a genuine desire to connect with God. When we begin to see it as a place of rest rather than striving, we will discover the depth of communion that can be found in this space.
Jesus and Solitude
Jesus regularly practiced solitude, showing us its value in a life of faith. Luke 4:42 describes one example where He intentionally withdrew to be alone with the Father: “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.” Donald Whitney reflects, “Put yourself in Jesus’ sandals for a moment. People are clamoring for your help and have many real needs. You are able to meet all those needs. Can you ever feel justified in pulling away to be alone? Jesus did.” We often find our identity in busyness, in being needed. But Jesus modeled a different way—He resisted the temptation to be indispensable and prioritized time alone with the Father.
Why Practice Solitude?
This is not about escaping life’s responsibilities but about creating space for what matters most, our relationship with our Father. When we are constantly engaged, we lose touch with our deepest needs. Barton warns, “Exhaustion sets in when we are too accessible too much of the time…What feels like being available and accessible is really a boundaryless existence that offers no protection for those things that are most precious to us… Solitude is an opportunity to interrupt this cycle by turning off the noise and stimulation of our lives so that we can hear our loneliness and our longing calling us deeper into the only relationship that can satisfy our longing.” In Exodus 14 God tells His chosen people, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Solitude is our concrete habit of entering such stillness.
Ways to Practice Solitude:
- Approach these times with a posture of being with your Father who desires to be with his kid, not a posture of accomplishing.
- Calendar just 3-5 minutes daily to sit in solitude with God. Let distractions come and go, then refocus your attention on Him.
- Plan one extended time of solitude this week. Coordinate with a spouse or friend to cover responsibilities. Find a quiet place—a park, a garden, a trail—away from distractions. Bring only a Bible (not on your phone), a notebook, and a pen. Talk to Him. Listen. Let God fight for you.
Reconnecting to Community
Solitude and community are not opposites but partners in spiritual growth. Whitney notes, “Think of silence and solitude as complementary Disciplines to fellowship. Without silence and solitude, we’re shallow. Without fellowship, we’re stagnant.” When we return from solitude, we reengage our relationships from a place of renewal rather than exhaustion. Barton describes it this way: “When I reengage my life in community with others and live from that place of union with God…Maybe nothing in my external world has changed, but I have changed, and that is what the people around me need more than anything.”
Resources About Solitude
“Sacred Rhythms” by Ruth Haley Barton
“Time Alone for God” from Desiring God
Podcast:
"Solitude and Community" from Bible Project
Solitude is more than just being alone—it is a sacred space set apart for God. It is a time when we unplug from the noise of life, withdrawing from distractions to be fully present with Him. Whether a few minutes or a few days, this practice must be driven by a genuine desire to connect with God. When we begin to see it as a place of rest rather than striving, we will discover the depth of communion that can be found in this space.
Jesus and Solitude
Jesus regularly practiced solitude, showing us its value in a life of faith. Luke 4:42 describes one example where He intentionally withdrew to be alone with the Father: “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.” Donald Whitney reflects, “Put yourself in Jesus’ sandals for a moment. People are clamoring for your help and have many real needs. You are able to meet all those needs. Can you ever feel justified in pulling away to be alone? Jesus did.” We often find our identity in busyness, in being needed. But Jesus modeled a different way—He resisted the temptation to be indispensable and prioritized time alone with the Father.
Why Practice Solitude?
This is not about escaping life’s responsibilities but about creating space for what matters most, our relationship with our Father. When we are constantly engaged, we lose touch with our deepest needs. Barton warns, “Exhaustion sets in when we are too accessible too much of the time…What feels like being available and accessible is really a boundaryless existence that offers no protection for those things that are most precious to us… Solitude is an opportunity to interrupt this cycle by turning off the noise and stimulation of our lives so that we can hear our loneliness and our longing calling us deeper into the only relationship that can satisfy our longing.” In Exodus 14 God tells His chosen people, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Solitude is our concrete habit of entering such stillness.
Ways to Practice Solitude:
- Approach these times with a posture of being with your Father who desires to be with his kid, not a posture of accomplishing.
- Calendar just 3-5 minutes daily to sit in solitude with God. Let distractions come and go, then refocus your attention on Him.
- Plan one extended time of solitude this week. Coordinate with a spouse or friend to cover responsibilities. Find a quiet place—a park, a garden, a trail—away from distractions. Bring only a Bible (not on your phone), a notebook, and a pen. Talk to Him. Listen. Let God fight for you.
Reconnecting to Community
Solitude and community are not opposites but partners in spiritual growth. Whitney notes, “Think of silence and solitude as complementary Disciplines to fellowship. Without silence and solitude, we’re shallow. Without fellowship, we’re stagnant.” When we return from solitude, we reengage our relationships from a place of renewal rather than exhaustion. Barton describes it this way: “When I reengage my life in community with others and live from that place of union with God…Maybe nothing in my external world has changed, but I have changed, and that is what the people around me need more than anything.”
Resources About Solitude
“Sacred Rhythms” by Ruth Haley Barton
“Time Alone for God” from Desiring God
Podcast:
"Solitude and Community" from Bible Project