Jesus shows us in the Gospels that the place of solitude becomes a place of strength (Matt 4:1-11, Luke 5:16). When we get away from distraction, we discipline ourselves to delight in who God is so that we may be fueled to live out following Jesus in the everyday. One way we develop this quiet inner life is through the practice of retreat/solitude.
When we retreat, we can enjoy God’s creation and set our minds in thankfulness to God our Creator. This requires intentionality and discipline and when we commit to this regularly, we start to become people of peace, not worry.
While both the quantity and quality of retreat/solitude are beneficial for your soul, remember to start out slow. Most people can’t just jump into a weekend-long retreat or a 40-day retreat like Jesus without having cultivating that practice before. So to begin to develop this habit, map out time this week to spend two hours away from distraction to simply rest and enjoy God. Take some time answering the following:
What does it look like for you to retreat? What can you do that will bring you delight in the Lord?
Examples can include jogging, taking a long bath, reading a book, hiking, etc. The point is to simply rest and enjoy.
What distractions might keep you from retreating for those two hours?
Our aim in this is to be with God, to direct our minds upwards while we enjoy His good gifts. We’d recommend limiting your screen usage or leaving your phone somewhere else during this time. (For tips on this, go to “How to Manage Your Screen Time.”
If you have kids, talk with your spouse to take shifts when each of you will go on a micro-retreat this week. Reach out to someone in LifeGroup to see if they can watch your kids for a couple of hours so you can spend time resting in Jesus on your own.
When can you put that in place?
The more specific the better.
Who do you need to reach out to make sure this happens?
We’re called to be a people who follow Jesus together which means we can’t do this on our own. Share with one or two people in your LifeGroup about your plans to get away for a bit. Share with them your potential barriers and distractions. Have them hold you accountable.
After you completed it, what did you notice?
Reflect on your experience. Thank the Lord that He has wired you to rest. Did you find your mind going to places of distraction on your retreat? Why is that? Take that to the Lord.
How can you make retreating a sustainable practice?
When’s the next time you can retreat again? Based on your micro-retreat, how would you modify your plan to further enjoy God and His good gifts? To cultivate and strengthen this discipline, how might you extend your retreat even longer next time?