The Power of Solitude: Hearing the Voice of GodSample

Day 5: Solitude: A double-edged sword.

Solitude is a two-edged sword; when it's not intentional or driven by a genuine pursuit of God-it becomes dangerous. Solitude is not just about withdrawing from friends, families or social circles; no, as humans, we need people and the company of others. Hebrews 10:25 CEB, "Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near."

A healthy Christian life must be a balance between a reasonable amount of withdrawal for a personal and deep connection with God and a healthy connection and fellowship with other believers.

People sometimes withdraw when going through a loss or a difficult season. Depression, inferiority complex, and low self-esteem, to name a few, make people lead a quiet and solitary life; this is not the kind of solitude we are talking about. Solitude can break the human spirit if not driven by a meaningful purpose. Prisoners in correctional facilities are sometimes kept away in solitary confinement as a form of punishment.

Every 3 months I take time out alone to audit my spiritual walk with God. Asking questions such as, who am I becoming? Am I growing spiritually? Am I still in alignment with the will of God? What am I doing right? What is working and what is not? And I will also encourage you to do the same if you aren't already. You see, an unexamined life is not worth living. If we prioritize hearing the voice of God, we will make fewer mistakes as we journey through life.

As you conclude this devotional, take time to reflect on when last you heard from God. How did he speak to you? Through your dream, the Bible, Prophecy, friends, trance or vision. Did you do what he asked you to do? One of the metrics of a healthy spiritual life is how often you hear from God. If you have a best friend, you probably speak to them daily. Are you doing the same with God?

If this devotional has blessed you in any way, please do share your feedback. I would love to hear from you. My email is info@danielkcole.com