Incorporating moments of solitude into your busy schedule is not time squandered. The more occupied you are, the greater the likelihood that you'll reap rewards from a period of tranquility.
Here are 6 science-backed reasons* why we should practice solitude:
1. Develops creativity
2. Increases productivity
3. Builds mental strength
4. Cultivates empathy
5. Reduces behavior problems in kids
6. Good for thinking about goals, progress, and changes in your life
7. You get to know yourself
What God’s word says;**
Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
1. He Restores my Soul. The word “still” in this verse means “quietness or resting place”. If we allow God to lead us to stillness, we become restored and scientists agree.
In 2011, the World Health Organization reported that noise pollution is a plague that affects how we think and feel. The report concluded that overwhelming scientific evidence shows that overexposure to music, TV, radio, podcasts, and of course, the nonstop multitude of environmental sounds is adversely affecting us from the inside.
In the landmark study, The Restorative Benefits of Nature, published by Stephen Kaplan, he demonstrates how the brain naturally restores its own cognitive skills when environment sounds are lowered. The study shows how the quiet stillness found walking in nature, lets the brain decrease its sensory guard, which helps it to release tension and strain. This gives the brain a chance to restore.
2. Renews my Strength
Isaiah 40:31
Renews our strength, we will run and not get weary, soar on eagles’ wings (no effort), walk and not faint.
As the eagle ages and becomes slower in flight, it starts to have problems with its wings and its talons become blunt and calcifications form on its beak. He flies to a mountain, close to the sun. Firstly, it starts to pluck at some of its wing feathers, one by one the faulty feathers are cast out, then it may seek out a cool refreshing mountain stream to wash itself. The icy waters remove the taint, lice, and parasites. Fresh, clean, and naked, the eagle stands before the sun.
While awaiting the regrowth of its flight feathers, the eagle also does something about its dull beak. The calcifications are painstakingly ground away by slow but steady action of the beak against the rock. Likewise, the talon too may be sharpened or removed. Eventually, after many days of preening, plucking, honing, grinding, and washing the eagle is ready to return to the outside world. Its youth has been renewed. Again, it is a powerful, dangerous bird to contend with.
3. Changes Us
It is because of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, that He defeated death and sin, not of our own efforts.
It was in His silence before His accusers and Pilate, that Jesus preached the ultimate message of submission and surrender to the Father’s will. And then on the cross, He surrendered Himself up for our sins and endured the silence of the Father, so that three days later the world would know the Good News of the resurrection!
Jesus endured the silence of the Father, so that we may know the Good News of the resurrection! Love, mercy, and grace meet.
4. “Peace (perfect peace)” Isaiah 26:3
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
If I ask 100 people if they truly feel the peaceful stillness of Jesus in their heart and mind, less than 10 people can sincerely say that their mind is still enough to experience the Prince of Peace.
Jesus’ gift of peace is not a state but a relationship with Him. It is the fruit of deeply abiding in Him. A peace that can only come from knowing and loving God being in His presence.
We, however, rob ourselves of the peace that only Christ can offer, we are commanded to let the peace of Christ rule our hearts. Colossians 3:15
5. Hear God (gentle whisper) 1 Kings 19:12
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. Become aware of God’s presence and His voice speaking to you. QUIETING OUR HEART ENABLES US TO HEAR GOD WHISPER TO US.
6. Hope/Rest
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.
7. Not to be taken away from us.
Mary and Martha at Luke 10:41-42
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
These precious times within solitude with our Father will never be taken away from us. They spur us on, strengthen us, they build resilience in us to run the race to mention a few.
8. God is Glorified (God will be glorified)
Psalm 46:10
God is glorified and people know and sense something profoundly different in us. We radiate the presence of God.
In the relentless rush of modern life, where every tick of the clock ushers in a new demand, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We're often told that to be successful, we must constantly be on the move, always hustling and rushing. But always remember that there's a profound wisdom in being still, the power of holding to God, and taking time to pause for Him.
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