BY LARALOVE
“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”” Mt. 22:37-40
For about 7 years, I spent a great deal of time on my own. In much solitude. With the Lord. I most assuredly spent time with people, and I most assuredly absolutely love people. But far more than I would have chosen, I had a great deal of time to myself. It was hard. It was uncomfortable. It was challenging. But it ended up being exquisitely beautiful because unbeknownst to me, the Lord desired to use that time to draw me to Himself, to bring me into His Word and to teach it to me Himself, to grow me by His Spirit, to test me, to refine me, to conform me to Himself, to train me in ministry and prepare me for further ministry, to lead me to repentance in many things much of the time, to teach me His ways, to teach me most of all of His love for me, His will for me, His purpose for me, and how to live in a way pleasing and joyful and honoring to Him. All the time I spent alone, it was not usually by my choice. It was by the Lord’s. And it ended up being ultimately for His glory.
Friend, there is a difference between solitude as directed by the Lord for His purpose and isolating ourselves from others and most importantly from Him. The Lord created us above all else to love and worship and honor and serve Him with all our hearts forever and to love others as ourselves. Our greatest love and intimacy is to be with God almighty through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And our second greatest love and intimacy is to be in relationship with our fellow humans. There is a time and purpose for us to spend time on our own, but never in disobedience to Christ. And never apart from Christ.
Are you living in the presence and fellowship of the Lord and regularly interacting with others in Christ’s love, or have you withdrawn yourself because you are afraid, hurt, depressed, angry, overwhelmed, bitter, ashamed, jealous, prideful, struggling with addiction, broken, being selfish etc.?
If you are isolating rather than spending time in solitude to which the Lord has called you for His purpose and glory, come into loving fellowship with the Lord and obedience to Him, my friend, and spend time with others including with those who love Him whenever He so leads you.
Obey His greatest commands. Love Him with all your heart. And love others as yourself. Trust the Lord to let you know when it’s time to spend time alone. And when it’s time to spend time with others. But whether you spend time alone or with others, spend that time in a way that is honoring of and glorifying to God. Live to glorify His name, AMEN!
Courtesy of DAILY INSPIRATION
