Most people, at one time or another, want to snap their fingers and, instantaneously, BE. You know: BE accomplished and successful. BE happy and healthy. BE needed and loved. For Christians, we want to BE a mature and sanctified believer spending time every day in perfect SOLITUDE with God.    Many people long for this kind of bliss to be free from being pestered by the messy parts of life...

We know with 100% certainty that God wants us to spend time in SOLITUDE with him and understand that HE is the only source of our STRENGTH (Psalm 46:1). But doing that is very difficult, especially if we bring Pick-&-Choose Faith into that conversation.    I know this sounds clear on its face. After all, we know that the Bible—every single word and message in it—is inspired, inerrant,...

This morning greeted me with a rush of fresh thinking about something I rarely hear Christians discuss—Making a conscious effort to PROTECT our relationship with Jesus.    Most believers rightly focus on developing an intimate relationship with God. And we’ve been exploring all month how seeking SOLITUDE with God is the only way to fully activate our faith and build intimacy with Jesus....

We are living in a “BARE MINIMUM” world that values and rewards limiting how much we think and do. We have our own lexicon for describing this quest for “slipping by” that expresses itself as–“that will do” or “that’s good enough.”    Doing “JUST ENOUGH” is a recipe for failure. It creates nothing durable and guarantees that everything is compromised from an optimum standard. This...

Most of our fears are tangible and easily described. You know…heights, disease, oceans, flying, failure, death…to name but a few. But the sneakiest and most dangerous fear of all is RARELY discussed.    It’s the FEAR OF MAN.    Why does this theme surface in the middle of this month-long series on SEEKING SOLITUDE WITH GOD?    Because the FEAR OF MAN is a master chameleon...

“Ok, that’s it…I’ve had it with you, John! You are LUKEWARM about everything!”    That’s a real exchange I witnessed a few years back between a couple of guys on staff together at a faith-based organization. It was much louder and angrier than those words could ever convey.    When they locked their horns and started to spit words all over each other, I was expecting a nasty exchange...

Early in my faith walk I was a master of DISGUISES. My portfolio of faces and facades was deep and wide. My go-to disguises to cover up my distance from God were money and a mansion adorned by a sports car strutting on the long driveway’s runway.    dis·​guise: to obscure the existence or true state or character of something or someone. To conceal.    I did everything...

I am fascinated by the TV series ‘Alone’ on the History Channel where contestants have to survive in the wilderness, completely isolated with little resources. The person who survives the longest walks home with $500,000.    Besides being great television, watching ‘Alone’ this season has elevated the subject of SOLITUDE to the top of my mind and helped me develop this month’s series on...

Everybody’s talking. Inside their head, that is.    All of us, to one degree or another, have an ongoing INTERNAL MONOLOGUE running that never escapes as audible sounds to the outside world. Researchers think this internal voice starts during childhood in what they refer to as PRIVATE SPEECH and continues into adulthood as a utilitarian mechanism to do get things done throughout the day....

Early in my faith walk I was afraid of everything. My shadow. Other people. And God. I was NOT afraid on the outside, hiding behind the façade I created with my success and wealth. It was on the INSIDE. I was afraid to be alone with myself–and my thoughts—and that’s what drove my lustful chase for things and the addictive (though always temporary) distractions they offer.    It’s...