Jesus was a popular man. Crowds always flooded to him, always wanting something from him – a word, a touch, a prayer, an answer. Countless times Jesus found himself in the company of thousands. But countless times, he was also in the company of just two – him, and God.
- Yet the news about [Jesus] spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Lk 5:15-16)
For some reason, we think that we have to serve, serve, serve and never take time out. We judge ourselves by how many people we have helped in a day and overlook the moments of solitude. In the bible, we focus on Jesus’ service and preaching and miss the little verses where he withdrew for a time:
- Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. (Matt 14:22-23)
- At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. (Luke 4:42)
- Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, and left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
- Then Jesus went with his discples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." (Matthew 26:36)
Do you think God is trying to tell us something here? Maybe that solitude is just as important as service.
Think about how a car race works. Cars drive insanely fast around race tracks, hoping to come in first. Races put both the car and driver under intense pressure. However, all races have this ingenious invention called ‘pit stops’. Cars once driving over 200km/hr stop and sit at 0km/hr for a few seconds. These crucial stops offer rest, refuelling and repairs to allow the car to continue racing until the very end.
And without these pit stops … well, just look at Lightning McQueen is the kids’ movie, Cars. Lightning McQueen was so focused on winning and pleasing his fans that in his mind, he could not afford to stop. However in the words of the commentator, ‘short time gain, long time loss’. Yes, Lightning McQueen gained a huge lead after skipping his pit stop, but the car could not hold up and he ironically almost lost the race and his dignity. However, in the race decider, Lightning appreciates the value of pit stops and races a completely different race.
We are not exactly in a car race but we are in the race of life and pit stops are just as important. We need to take time to just sit and watch the rain drip off the roof, listen to the chirp of the crickets, look at a child as they play, enjoy the clouds as they change shape, and listen to God’s gentle whisper in the storm of life. Service and work are important, but sometimes God just wants us to put down the book and just sit his presence.
Please never look down on moments of rest and solitude. Jesus did not just rest when no one needed him anymore. People were always fighting for his attention. But he chose when and who to give his attention to.
Do the same. Use your time wisely. Jesus had 24 hours in a day just like you. What will you do with yours?
