Your Spiritual Permission Slip to Be Alone

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Your Spiritual Permission Slip to Be Alone

The Solitary Place

If you are an introvert. Your need for solitude is not a “want.”

It is a need.

It is as essential as breathing. It is the only way you can untangle the noise of the world. It is how you recharge your spirit. It is how you hear your own thoughts.

And yet, it is the one thing that can make us feel the most guilty.

The Guilt of the Giver

As faith-filled women, we are taught to serve. We are taught to give. We are taught to be present.

When we long to be alone, a small, critical voice whispers.

“That’s selfish.” “A good Christian is always available.”

We look at Jesus. We see Him constantly surrounded by crowds. We feel like our introversion is a spiritual flaw.

The Example of Mark 1:35

I want to take your hand. I want to lead you to Mark 1:35.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

mARK 1:35

Read that again.

He left the house. He went off to a solitary place. He withdrew.

Jesus was the most-serving, most-loving person in history. But He knew He had to recharge.

He knew He had to fill His own cup before He could pour it out.

His solitude was not an escape from his calling. It was the fuel for it.

Stewardship, Not Selfishness

Your need to be alone is not a spiritual failure. It is a sacred, God-given design.

It is not selfish. It is essential stewardship of the quiet soul He gave you.

yOUR PROMPTS

Prompts for Your Permission Slip

Use your journal to sign your own permission slip.

  • Name the Guilt: “When I take (or just WANT) time for myself, the ‘guilty’ thought that pops into my head is…”
  • The “Jesus” Reframe: “Jesus went to a ‘solitary place’ to connect with his Father. How can I reframe my own ‘solitary place’? It is not ‘selfish.’ It is ‘sacred.’”
  • The “Filled Cup”: “What is the ‘quiet work’ my soul is trying to do in that ‘alone time’? (Do I need silence? Do I need to cry? Do I need to just stare at a wall?)”
  • A Prayer of Permission: “Lord, thank you for designing me this way. Today, I give myself permission to find one ‘solitary place.’ Just for a moment.”

yOUR ACTION POINT

Your Action Point: The “Solitary” Anchor

You need to physically move to a new space.

  1. Find your “solitary place.”
    • It doesn’t have to be a mountain.
    • It can be your car in the driveway.
    • It can be the garden bench.
    • It can be your bathroom with the door locked.
  2. Go. Your action is to physically go there once today.
  3. Timer. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
  4. Sit. As you sit, just whisper: “This is not selfish. This is sacred.”

Let that be your anchor.

With love, Debbera