The Benefits of Solitude

JEHOVAH told Joshua: “This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it.” (Josh. 1:8) We need to do the same so that we can keep drawing closer to our God, Jehovah.​—Jas. 4:8.

To read God’s Word “in an undertone” means to meditate on it or to think carefully about what you read and to try to understand how you can apply it. That kind of personal Bible study is best done in solitude​—when you are alone in a quiet place, free from distractions. Solitude will also give you an opportunity to pray to Jehovah without rushing.

JESUS VALUED SOLITUDE

Jesus often sought out solitude. For example, on one occasion he tried to find “an isolated place to be alone” but a crowd of people found him. What did Jesus do? He changed his plans. He took time to cure the sick and even to feed the crowd.​—Matt. 14:13, 14, 19, 20.

Does this mean, though, that Jesus sacrificed his solitude entirely? Not at all. The Bible says that after Jesus fed the crowd, “he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” Jesus did not come down from the mountain until “the fourth watch”​—somewhere between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.​—Matt. 14:23-25.

Clearly, Jesus made sure that he had periods of solitude so that he could pray and think deeply about his relationship with Jehovah, his Father. If the perfect Son of God needed solitude for those important reasons, we do too.

WHY SOME FIND SOLITUDE CHALLENGING

Today we are bombarded with distractions. Even when we are alone, an electronic device may demand our immediate attention. If we power off the device, we may get anxious and wonder: ‘What if someone is trying to reach me?’ ‘What if there is an emergency?’ ‘Shouldn’t I always be available?’

There is another factor. Today’s hectic pace of life has made many people uncomfortable with solitude. Some find it difficult to sit still and think quietly without something to occupy or distract them. Sociologist Sherry Turkle observed: “People are uncomfortable if left alone with their thoughts, even for a few minutes.” What can we do to make sure that we, like Jesus, benefit from periods of solitude?

HOW CAN WE MAKE ROOM FOR SOLITUDE?

As noted earlier, Jesus made sure that he had time for solitude. But note how he did so.

First, the Bible says: “He sent the crowds away.” (Matt. 14:22) Could Jesus have cured more people? Possibly. Could he have taught more truths? Absolutely. There was always more that Jesus could do for people. But he recognized his need for some solitude. After all, if Jesus had neglected his relationship with Jehovah, he would eventually have been of no help to anyone.

Second, the account states about Jesus: “He made his disciples board the boat and go ahead of him to the opposite shore.” (Matt. 14:22) According to one reference work, the expression “he made” has a sense of urgency to it and can mean that he “compelled” or even “commanded.” Evidently, Jesus realized that he would not have solitude unless he created the circumstances for it​—even if that meant, just for a time, putting his disciples on a boat and sending them to the opposite shore.

Like Jesus, we may need to create the circumstances to have solitude. For example, if our social or theocratic calendar is so full that we have no time to be alone to pray and meditate, we need to take control, as Jesus did. We should not feel obligated to accept every social invitation that comes our way; nor should we feel guilty if we cannot respond to every opportunity to help others. Sometimes we need to say no tactfully.

Like Jesus, we need solitude. When we carve out periods of quiet time to read God’s Word and meditate on it, we are taking care of one of “the more important things”​—our relationship with our heavenly Father, Jehovah.​—Phil. 1:10.