Luke 5:15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Have you ever struggled to balance being alone and being social? An introvert is typically described as someone who receives energy from being by themselves. We typically think of someone who is an introvert as someone who is quiet, or doesn’t like being around people. However, this can be totally untrue. Introverts may love being around people and can even be outgoing. The key is where people feel like they are being energized. An extrovert feels recharged when they are around others whereas an introvert gains energy from their time alone. Then, there is the ambivert. The person who likes being around people and gains energy from them, but also longs for their time alone as well. We are all some combination. We like being around people. But not too much… We like alone time, but we get stuck in our own thoughts and need to be around others.
On a deeper level, we have all experienced the craziness of life, work, family, and social obligations. When the day is over, we are exhausted and realize that the alarm is going to go off. Or, we find ourselves in a season where it is slower and we are trying to find community and a place to serve and use our giftings. The balance is hard.
We find a pattern in Jesus’s life of being with people and doing ministry – then retreating.
In Luke chapter 5, we see Jesus performing a miracle for a guy with leprosy. Leprosy was a disease that caused you to be an outcast socially. It was highly contagious, and the Israelites knew they needed to quarantine people to stop the spread of it. Leprosy wasn’t ideal. Then a guy named Jesus shows up with the power to heal. Jesus tells him not to tell anyone but Jesus is becoming well known in the land. He teaches with authority and his miracles are changing people’s lives. Of course, everyone wanted to come and see and experience this. Luke 5:15 says, “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.” (NIV) This sounds exciting! It also sounds exhausting.
In the next verse we see Jesus’s response. We see in verse 16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (NIV) On the one side, I believe there was something really practical about this. There was something to being emotionally healthy that caused Jesus to avoid crowds when they were constantly seeking him. He was still totally human and no one is available at all times. However, Jesus had a pattern of retreating and not just resting, but connecting with God through prayer.
This wasn’t the only time that Jesus did it. There was a pattern to Jesus doing ministry and serving others, and then retreating and praying. It wasn’t just about being introverted or extroverted. It seems that his relationship with God, in solitude, was a big part of what fueled his ministry.
We might find ourselves in a busy season. So busy that we feel guilty when we get time to ourselves. So busy that we don’t get a moment of silence because when our jobs end, the needs of family members begin. We can get exhausted from the demands to serve others. However, the practice of solitude isn’t just a gift to us, but to others. It allows us to be at our best for the people around us. It will be impossible to have a long, lasting, healthy, godly impact on others if we don’t find moments to retreat and connect with the One who empowers us and cares about us on a soul level.
Or, we may find ourselves with more free time than we ever have. The kids may be out of the home. We may have recently retired and we are asking what’s next. This is challenging but also an amazing opportunity to not only spend more time with God, but to ask God what the next ministry He may be calling us to.
Next Steps
What is one way that you can apply the practice of solitude? Is it getting up a little earlier when everyone is still asleep for time between you and God? Is it finding a break in the middle of the day and using an app like Lectio 365 (Highly recommend) for guided prayer and moments with God?
SOAP Scripture: Luke 5:15
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
