|
We used to take family vacations with our children. Most of the time that meant going to visit relatives who lived far away in Missouri or New Hampshire. When we went to New Hampshire, we were blessed to be able to stay at family camps on two different lakes. These were the closest thing to a "real" vacation. When we would arrive at the camp, we would get everything unloaded from the car and try to settle in. The kids were anxious to get to the fun things. They were ready to "go." All I wanted to do was relax. I would ask then to give me just one day of doing nothing. For some reason, that was not their idea of a vacation. But, relaxation was what I wanted more than anything. Just to be able to find rest for one day would be the best vacation I could have. Sometimes I think that the lack of rest is the major problem of our times. Finding time to rest and just be still is not part of the norm. I remember, back in the beginning of the computer age, that people said we were headed to a time when we would work less and have more time off. I was ready for that time. It never came! Could it be that our busyness has kept us from finding the restful life that Jesus offered? Jesus said "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) Where do we go to find rest? Jesus said "Come to me." For me, rest comes from times of quiet. Times when there is no phone, no radio, no noise of the world. Isn't that part of coming to Jesus? What ever happened to the practice of solitude? Jesus spent time up on the mountain to be alone with God. Maybe the practice of solitude is what "Be still, and know that I am God," is all about. I'm not talking about a family vacation here. I'm talking bout a time when it is just Jesus and me. A time away from all the noise of life. A time when I can listen to Jesus and hear the things he wants to tell me. I'm talking about a time when I can just be wrapped in the arms of Jesus and find rest for my soul. "Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." In order for Jesus to be able to teach me, I have to be willing to be taught. I have to give up the idea that I have the answers and take time to listen to Jesus. Again, for me, the best time to learn is a quiet time. When I was in college, I used to listen to "Led Zeppelin" while I tried to study. I say tried, because studying didn't go that well with all the noise. Noise causes distraction and distraction takes us away from what we are trying to achieve. The distractions of the world keep me from learning from Jesus. Somehow, if I truly want the rest for my soul, I have to make some changes in the way I approach Jesus. I need to learn to come to him quietly, listening. I have to make myself "fertile soil' so that his seed can grow in me. Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” I'm not as interested in changing myself as I am in letting Jesus change me. But, in order for Jesus to change me, I have to make some changes in how I live and let him lead. The practice of silence is not an easy thing-that's why it is called practice. Solitude and silence are frightening in a way. It leads to hearing things we aren't used to hearing. It may cause us to face despair. In his book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines,” Dallas Willard wrote, “Silence is frightening because it strips us as nothing else does, throwing us upon the stark realities of our life.” Even so, I think that solitude and silence are where I will find Jesus. I think it is the place where the Spirit will lead me into communion with God. Is solitude a discipline which I practice? No, but it can be and it needs to be. The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
(Psalm 23:1-3)
Father, teach me to be still. Help me to learn the discipline of solitude so that I can listen to your voice. Amen Walk by Faith
Original content at: http://becauseofyeshua.org/?p=87.
|
Articles, Media, and More 
Scott Bartchy is a radical. He believes in a subversive system that embraces those on the fringes of our society and seeks to establish a new way of life that goes against the status quo.