The last three and a half years of his life, Jesus was incredibly busy. He taught and worked tirelessly as pressing crowds cried out to him with their needs. He was surrounded by the tyranny of the urgent and everything was a crisis. It never let up. But he knew how to pull away and “unplug” when he needed to find refreshment for his soul and the strength to continue his work. He got alone with his father. And we can see that he longed for that time.
As we grow and take on more responsibility, the pace will not slow or the challenges ease. We will become more “connected” – to information, people, expectations, and demands. The more connected we become, the more the quiet place will be needed.
What I realized today is that even when I study and pray, I tend to have my cell phone in my pocket and my laptop open. There are about ten different ways to be distracted in that setting. While Jesus didn’t have the same modern day devices to distract him, he had plenty of noise around him. What did he do?
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NIV). This was the pattern of his life. His ministry flowed from the relationship with his father. That is the same way it should work for us.
Discipline your life to the quiet place.