ALONE WITH GOD - PART 1

And after he had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone – Matthew 14:23

Several years ago, a friend suggested a get-away at a retreat center every quarter to do business planning. He said this was helping him keep on track with his goals personally and in his business. As a goal-driven person, I took his suggestion and started to act upon it. What I found was a time to be quiet and slow down to collect my thoughts and think more clearly without the noise of my home and workplace. As God would have it, over time through my spiritual journey and growth, that quarterly retreat has become all about my time to get alone with God. It is now one of the most important spiritual rhythms of my life and without it my spiritual health weakens.

I’ve thought about this experience and realized how it mirrors much of my spiritual journey and growth toward a life of intimacy with Jesus.

1. I need to frequently get away from the noisiness of my daily life and move closer to God to hear what God has to say to me.
2. Even when life seems to be going just right (as defined by my flawed human mind), God has something in store for me that is better than I can imagine. He loves me, and His plan for my life, though possibly quite different from my current life, will be joyful.

I often ask successful people, Christians and non-Christians alike, how they would rank the quality of their lives on a scale of 1-5. Not in terms of finances, but just in general: How good is life for you? Most say they’re actually “okay” and rank their lives “somewhere in the 4 range”. Think about that for yourself for a moment. How would you rank the quality of your life?

Now imagine the scale actually goes to 10. How does it make you feel to know that there is a whole other level of joy, peace, and fulfillment that’s available to you that you aren’t even aware of?

My encouragement for you is to get quiet often, draw close to God, and receive, your spiritual food and nourishment from your Heavenly Father who loves you dearly and desires to be alone with you!

Think and pray
Have you considered how time alone with God could enhance your overall quality of life and help you to draw closer to God?

Heavenly Father, help me to prioritize time in my busy life to get away consistently with You, just like Jesus always did. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Gary is a seasoned Executive/Leadership Coach with a biblical perspective committed to walking alongside and building up other believers in all aspects of their lives. Gary is a Senior Area Director for CBMC Central Midwest.