Solitude Is Not An Escape—It’s An Encounter.
From running on empty to being filled with His presence.
Jesus Mode: “Do Not Disturb”
“But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].” — Luke 5:16
Jesus healed crowds, taught with authority, and poured Himself out constantly.
But He also hit pause. He slipped away. Think of it as the original “Do Not Disturb” setting.
If Jesus, fully dependent on the Father, needed solitude, then so do we.
Solitude vs. Isolation
Wayne Cordeiro once said: “Solitude is a chosen separation for refining your soul. Isolation is what you crave when you neglect the first.”
Solitude is stepping into God’s presence to be restored.
Isolation is running from the world to hide—one refills; the other drains. One is chosen; the other is the default.
When we neglect solitude, isolation sneaks in—usually disguised as binge-watching, scrolling, or retreating behind a “busy” badge.
Check Your Soul’s Gauge
How’s your soul these days? Full? Satisfied? Or maybe leaking, stretched, and running on empty? Our soul sends signals just like a dashboard. Ignore them, and burnout becomes inevitable.
He doesn’t ask us to fix it on our own. He simply says: “Come away with Me.”
Slip Away, Be Found
Solitude is not just separation from noise; it’s connection to the Father.
It’s where we remember whose we are, not just who we are. When we slip away, we’re not disappearing—we’re being found again.
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5). Solitude is how we abide. It’s where the leaking soul gets filled, the restless mind finds peace, and the weary heart rests.
Reflection
Where have I been confusing isolation with solitude?
Where can I “slip away” today to let the Father restore me?
What practices help me abide in Christ instead of striving on my own?
How would my relationships change if I led from a soul at rest in Him?