"Get Away And Get Alone"
By Zach Wood
Luke 5:16
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Work meetings; Church meetings; Phone calls; Texting; Deadlines; Conferences; Appointments; School exams; Babysitting; Luncheons.
These things are all a part of life. We have so many things to do and so many places to be that we often feel our head is spinning and we have no idea which way is up or down. We feel trapped in a constant, on-the-go lifestyle. Many of us feel weird if we take the time to stop to do anything that does not require much energy. Even though it feels great, we often feel a sudden urgency to get up and continue the craziness lifestyle.
God never intended us to run ourselves down so much that we lose touch with reality. Our bodies can only take so much before we completely fall apart and become sick. God designed our bodies to need to rest. It is good to be busy and get things done, but not so much that we neglect giving ourselves the proper amount of rest and refreshment.
Our spiritual lives also need this rest and time of refuel. I am not only amazed at how often Jesus performed miracles and tended to those in need, but also amazed at how often He went away and just got alone with the Father. Jesus needed the rest and needed times to get away. What is so neat about this is that He went away often to be alone. Not just once in a while, but often. Many times, we think conferences and retreats are our chance to get away and be refreshed. While these getaways are great, we have a much greater need. We need to get away and get alone much more often. We need daily time to just be with the Father. I have noticed this even in my own life. I do not take the time I really need to be alone as I should. I let way too many things distract me and then I'm worn out. Parents, you know exactly what this feels like. You know you need time to just get away and pray and be alone with God, but you're so worn out and tired that you just want to sleep. Sleep is good, but we also need to make time to just be in the presence of God and soak in what He wants to say to us.
If Jesus made it a point to get away and get alone with the Father as often as He did, we also should take note and follow in those footsteps. Yes, the world around craves for our attention, but we must take the initiative and make the effort to get away and get alone.
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