I am a quiet person by nature. Not shy… just quiet. That is, I am perfectly content spending time by myself and I actually gain energy by being alone. To be honest, I strongly dislike that part of my personality. It is both a blessing and a curse. I've learned to accept the way I am… but, yes, I try to weed out the negative side of my introversion. Many of my friends and family members are leery of my "lone wolf" disposition. They warn me of it's dangers. I recognize them very well by now. I understand the fact that God is a God of community. His greatest tool is the Body of Christ… the Church. I get that. God didn't intend for us to be alone. I'm often reminded of verses like, "Where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" (Matthew 18:20). Much of the time, the very voice of God is communicated through His disciples. I understand that.
Frankly, though, I grow tired of getting push back for my time alone. I believe that one of the most neglected disciplines in the Christian faith today is that of solitude. Introversion has gotten a bad wrap. I wish to take this time to dispel some of the rumors and to highlight some of the benefits. Introversion is not inherently wrong. Yes, it has been abused and it needs to be balanced with fellowship, but it is not all wrong. When it is abused, it leads to selfishness… and selfishness ALWAYS leads to sin. It can facilitate comfort and stunt personal growth. However, it is a necessity to the Christian walk. The key is to balance it with community life. God-centered solitude is absolutely crucial and ironically leads to less of you.
Every follower of Christ would agree that it is crucial to hear the voice of God, to feel God's love, and to learn from God. Yes, God wishes to communicate through His followers, but we also need to understand that He wishes to speak to us as individuals. The way God depicts His love for us is less like a pop-star who screams I love you! to thousands of fans from a stage and more like a father tucking his child into bed at night whispering You are my beloved. His love is not only a corporate, sort of blanket statement, but it is also deeply individualistic. If my dad only told my siblings and mother that he loved us when we were all together as a family how would I know that he truly loved me? If my dad never looked at me in the eye and said, Kyle, I love you, then I would never know it. The same is true with our Heavenly Father. If we only spend time around other people to worship God, how will we experience growth? What's the best way to get to know someone: By spending time with him in a large group or by taking her out to coffee? It's obvious. One-on-one interaction is always more intimate. The same is true in our relationship with the Lord of Heaven's Armies.
We must hear God for ourselves by ourselves from time to time to completely understand the idea that God came to this Earth to save each solitary soul. He loves us individually and He wants to tell us that individually. I'm not suggesting here, Dear Reader, that we should all become silent monks who sit and contemplate life. I am suggesting, however, that there is great value in "alone time" and it is underrated more than it is respected.
In my personal experience, the most revelatory encounters with God have occurred while I was sitting alone at the feet of God in silence. I would even go so far as to say that if the Reader asked any spiritual leader when the most brilliant displays of God were experienced, he or she would most likely say that it was behind closed doors… alone with God. Jesus Christ, our Messiah, came to save each one of our souls. Since His ascension, we are His hands. He is the head and we are the hands. He desires to love and to use each one of us with our own personal strengths and talents. He longs to tell us and show us His love individually. He finds great value in us. We cannot receive all that is from God when we are caught up in the daily hustle and bustle while constantly surrounded by other people. I implore you extroverts our there to turn off your cell phone for a while… sit and soak in God's love on a regular basis. And you introverts need not feel sorrow or guilt for spending time alone occasionally because that's where God can have you all to Himself. For our God is a jealous God! (Exodus 20:5)
One of life's greatest battles takes place in our minds. With an improper foundational conception of God we can miss out on some of the power God offers to us. In The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer put it this way, "A right conception about God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God." The most important foundational beliefs of God are formed when we hear and read about God for ourselves. This generation leans to heavily on other "professional ministers." The foundational belief structure must be built on an individual basis and we must spend time alone to figure that out.
We must learn from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death, he reassured them that the Spirit of God was going to take his place: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:26-27). Did you get that… The Spirit will teach us ALL things. If we aren't being attentive to what the Holy Spirit is teaching us, we can miss it. Being attentive often looks like complete solitude at the feet of God.
So, Reader, if you like to spend time alone, spend it in moderation and always with God. Be encouraged, introversion is not always bad. On the other hand, if you love being around people all the time, take some time away at least once a week to feel God's jealous love for you… and don't discourage the introverts of the world unless they are misusing it.
