Weekday Devotionals - Raquel
The more chaotic life gets (which it has been increasingly more chaotic in the last couple weeks), the more tempted I am to disconnect, dissociate, and for a lack of better words “bed rot” while scrolling for hours on social media. I am being vulnerable in sharing this confession with you in hopes that it makes some of you feel less alone and less ashamed. Life is a roller coaster, we’re up and then the next moment we’re back down. It gets exhausting and it feels so much easier to just temporarily shut out the world. I know it’s not what will bring peace, but in that moment it is what brings immediate, temporary relief.
On Sunday we learned that the busier Jesus was, the more He withdrew to “the wilderness.” At least, I have half of that right with the withdrawing part, but where is this “wilderness,” that Jesus would go to? I love seeing Jesus’ humanness. He experienced all the same emotions we do- anger, joy, deep sorrow, and he battled temptation just like us. When there was chaos or inner turmoil- he withdrew. The wilderness = isolated, uncomfortable, unplugged. Jesus would go off alone, to a quiet place, and be in solitude. 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.
He didn’t have an Instagram account to unplug from, but he did temporarily step away from all the noise around him to just exist for a moment. To just be still. Every time we check our phone for messages, or likes/comments, we experience a dopamine release. That is the chemical release related to addiction. It starts to make more sense why when my life is chaotic, loud, and busy, I run to the quick fix of scrolling through videos on Instagram for a couple hours. After I’m done, I just experience more shame for how much time I wasted! It’s a self sabotaging and defeating cycle. Even as I type this, I’m being reminded that there is a better way.
Jesus shows us a better way. And that way might be preparing us for something new He has planned for our lives. The “wilderness” will stretch us, but we can be okay with that because being pliable means God can work with us. How can he work with an unmovable, unwilling spirit?
I know I’m not the only one in the middle of a difficult decision, uncertainties, sprinkled in with chaos in their life. We’re not sure what the future holds for these unknowns, so maybe we can just do the next right thing- step in to the wilderness and pray. Tomorrow, I’ll be up before the sun (at least I’ll try!) to sit in solitude and pray. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know what happens!
In what areas of your life are you seeking solitude to grow closer to God, and where might you be isolating yourself in ways that keep you from experiencing His presence or community?
Authentically,
Raquel
On Sunday we learned that the busier Jesus was, the more He withdrew to “the wilderness.” At least, I have half of that right with the withdrawing part, but where is this “wilderness,” that Jesus would go to? I love seeing Jesus’ humanness. He experienced all the same emotions we do- anger, joy, deep sorrow, and he battled temptation just like us. When there was chaos or inner turmoil- he withdrew. The wilderness = isolated, uncomfortable, unplugged. Jesus would go off alone, to a quiet place, and be in solitude. 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.
He didn’t have an Instagram account to unplug from, but he did temporarily step away from all the noise around him to just exist for a moment. To just be still. Every time we check our phone for messages, or likes/comments, we experience a dopamine release. That is the chemical release related to addiction. It starts to make more sense why when my life is chaotic, loud, and busy, I run to the quick fix of scrolling through videos on Instagram for a couple hours. After I’m done, I just experience more shame for how much time I wasted! It’s a self sabotaging and defeating cycle. Even as I type this, I’m being reminded that there is a better way.
Jesus shows us a better way. And that way might be preparing us for something new He has planned for our lives. The “wilderness” will stretch us, but we can be okay with that because being pliable means God can work with us. How can he work with an unmovable, unwilling spirit?
I know I’m not the only one in the middle of a difficult decision, uncertainties, sprinkled in with chaos in their life. We’re not sure what the future holds for these unknowns, so maybe we can just do the next right thing- step in to the wilderness and pray. Tomorrow, I’ll be up before the sun (at least I’ll try!) to sit in solitude and pray. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know what happens!
In what areas of your life are you seeking solitude to grow closer to God, and where might you be isolating yourself in ways that keep you from experiencing His presence or community?
Authentically,
Raquel
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