When it came to learning who I am to my core, there was a ton of confusion as others had plenty to say on the topic. I am someone who values the thoughts and opinions of others, I celebrate their unique perspectives, and I welcome their advice. However, when that advice became too much for me to process, I shut down, and began to think I was broken.
I had to find a way to step back and clear my mind so I could focus on what God was saying about who I was. I found that by being intentional with setting moments of solitude, I was beginning to see the fog lift.
What is solitude? If you look it up in the dictionary you would find the definition to read: the state or situation of being alone.
How frightened are you at the mere thought of being alone with your thoughts? I'll admit it, I was terrified.
Here's what I did in my time spent in solitude to help me get back to the heart of who I am:
Setup:
- Pick a consistent schedule - every day at the same time works for me, sometimes I would even do full weekends.
- Remove distractions - no cell phone's, no computer screens, nothing. Leave it all in a different spot.
- If you are going to be unavailable for a long duration, it's wise to tell others so they don't panic when you can't be reached.
- Comfort is critical - pick a spot that you can sit comfortably for the duration you pick.
- Supplies - I always had with me the same things - Bible, Journal, Pens
- Armor up - full armor of God is a must!
Time in Solitude:
- Prayer - I opened the time in solitude with prayer and invited God to join me where I was
- Study - I read both in scripture and in books
- Journal - I wrote down what came to mind, how I felt, ideas, convictions, confessions, really anything that I could
- Thanks - I made sure to express my gratitude for all that happened during my time of solitude
- Closing Prayer - I always ended solitude with a closing prayer
In the beginning my time spent in solitude was awkward but the more I did it the more intentional my actions became. The more open and honest I was with myself and God, the more that was revealed to me.
Be prepared to be convicted of your own actions, the purpose of solitude is to discover the areas of improvement you have and come up with a plan of action to course correct and get back to the root of who you are in Christ.
Remember, this is a time for you to deepen your relationship with God and to get more in tune with who you are. That in and of itself is worth celebrating.
May you make the choice today to start incorporating more moments of solitude in your life.
With Grace, Shonda