The Urgent Need to Retreat – ETB #175

As I’ve traveled this summer, I’ve heard many people talk about being tired and overwhelmed. Just like you, I can’t get everything on my list done in a day! As a part of a recent conference, I participated in a retreat. So today I’m sharing with you the importance of retreating, just as Jesus did in the Bible. There is an urgent need to retreat! Let’s talk about this need for finding quietness and rest amidst the chaos of life and how retreating can provide strength, joy, and a renewed connection with God.

Sometimes quiet is something that we have to make happen. This act of retreating keeps us steady in the midst of chaos and near the heart of God.

“In quietness and rest is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15

I’ve learned that if we don’t make time for this quiet and stillness, sometimes it is thrust upon us. It is vital that we retreat so we have the needed quiet to allow our minds to be still. God provides strength to us when we retreat. Rest moves us from burnout to breakthrough. Our lives are so busy, and these things are robbing us of the time that we need to be in God’s presence.

When I say retreat, I’m not talking about activities that require money or days away. I’m referring to the simple daily time alone with God.

In Genesis, God modeled the practice of rest after He finished creating. In the Gospels, Jesus modeled getting away from the crowds. If God Himself rested and retreated, it seems that we should follow His example. It is a lifeline for us!

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:16

Exactly how you do this will look a little different from another person. Maybe you do this by taking a walk, sitting on the porch, or a chair where you can sit alone. You might be able to retreat for a minute or ten minutes or an hour.

Also, remember that your children are watching you. They will see how you take this time away with God and how you make spending that time a priority.

Things to consider:

• Where can you retreat?
• How long can you retreat?
• What does God want to say to you?

More Verses to Ponder:

• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
• “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” – Psalm 23:2-3
• “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” – Psalm 37:7
• “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'” – Mark 6:31
• “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” – Psalm 116:7
• “The Lord replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'” – Exodus 33:14

As the fall season approaches, I encourage you to incorporate retreating into your daily lives. I challenge you to add a time of retreat to your calendar. Guard that time like you do taking your children to their various activities. By carving out moments for stillness and communion with God, we can find strength, joy, and direction in the midst of life’s chaos.