I’m a pretty social guy. Most of the time you will find me with at least one other person around me. My house in Sarnia always seems to be the hang-out place for EVERYONE whenever I am home. Just on random nights there could be as many as fifteen random people that will just show up to hang out here. The apartment in Toronto isn’t much different. We call it the Hostel. We at times have up to six or seven extra people sleeping over on top of the five that already live there. Our apartment always has something crazy and exciting going on. There is always some new gimmick or phase that we all get on and it’s always a lot of fun. I love to be around people.
At times though this becomes an issue. This summer for an example my social life got a little out of hand. I quit my job to be around people, I trashed my house constantly with the people that were around and I would slack on all responsibilities because I liked people. I allowed my passion for people and being with people to override my responsibilities. Kind of how Saul allowed his passion to have things overcame his passion to obey God when he took all the riches when he was told not too (1 Sam 15:22). I learned though, I’m improving.
All this to say is that I miss my alone times quite often now. I miss my days where I could wake up and have nothing planned. Two days ago was the first day in four months that I had nothing on my calendar for the day. There has got to be an end to this. There should be. God even rested on the seventh day, why do I run myself dry everytime? Jesus and God both seem to be big supporters of rest. It’s considered utopian to enter into his rest in the Psalms, Jesus tells all who are heavy to come to him for rest.
Not only should I rest more, I need to learn the importance of solitude. It was alone that Jacob wrestled an angel to get his blessing. It was alone that Jesus went to cry out to God for his friends and for mercy. It was alone that Moses approached God. It was alone that the priests went into the Temple. You can see all through the gospels of how much pain each author took to show that Jesus spent a lot of time alone.
Community is important, and our relationships are vital, but so is our solitude; cutting out everything but you and God. When I’m at Tyndale I love my walks to and from school because its such an awesome time to just be alone. When I’m at home, I take my dog for a walk and just sit at the beach staring at the sky and the water and just soak in the solitude. It’s such a refreshing and revitalizing feeling when you are done. Spend the time alone that you need to spend alone. Too many times we try to hide our own issues by always having other people around. When your not alone you never have to deal with them. When you are alone, that’s when your brain starts to work and God starts to lays things on your heart. It’s when you begin to think about where you are in life and if you are happy or not. Its where plans for the future and dreams being to ignite. It allows you to really evaluate yourself (something too many people don’t or hate to do) and allow God to straighten you up. It hurts, which is my most probably hide from being alone, but it’s a cure, and most cures hurt before they get better.