My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. -Psalm 62:5
During this time of the pandemic, many people are afforded more down time than they normally have. My question and encouragement to each of us is, are we taking advantage of this time by turning some of it into solitude with God? Henri Nouwen called solitude..."the furnace of transformation."
We live in such a "fast-food" instant society that can only stop for a minuscule moment and then keep going. The solitude I am talking about is not a 3 minute pit-stop. It is like a cool breeze on the back of the neck during a hot summer day. Inner stillness is an absolute necessity to truly knowing God. Psalm 46:10 states, "Be still and know that I am God." Nouwen also said, "A life without a quiet center, easily becomes destructive." A. W. Tozer wisely said, "I know that people do not want to be alone with God, but if your longing heart is to ever find the living water, it will be alone."
A couple of weeks ago another megachurch pastor announced his resignation. He spoke about the fact that for the last 14 years he has been focused on building a church community where everyone's welcome. Then, he said "in the meantime, I haven't prioritized some things that were equally as important. Leaders who lead on empty don't lead well. For some time, I've been leading on empty."
He went on to say, "We've said that this is a church where it's okay to not be okay, and I'm not okay. I'm tired. And I'm broken and I just need some rest." "Leading on empty" seems to infer that he never learned the spiritual discipline of alone-time with God. The "tyranny of the urgent" had pushed out God. This is something all Christian leaders battle, but we must not allow that to happen. I love the quote from Vance Havner when he said, "if you do not come a part, you will come apart." Some Christian's spiritual lives, perhaps like this pastor, are so barren as a result of their busyness, that they could spit dust.
In solitude with God we are able to identify the "clutter" of wrong-thinking and misguided priorities. In this transforming furnace, we are able to hear God speak to us in that "still small voice." The great Divine Cardiologist is able to remove our fear and anxiety, replacing them with peace and joy.
Charles Swindoll stated it well: "In solitude, struggles occur that no one else knows about. Inner battles are fought here that seldom become fodder for sermons or illustrations for books. God, who probes our deepest thoughts during protracted segments of solitude, opens our eyes to things that need attention. It is here He makes us aware of those things we try to hide from others."
Let me encourage you. God's desire is to meet with you. He loves our alone-time with Him. And He loves to speak to us. So find that place in your house or yard to "do business with God." You may ask, what do I say to Him? For starters, ask him, "God, what are you saying to me through this crisis?" I believe He has something for all of us to learn.
And Moses said unto the people, "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today."