Seclusion typically has the negative connotation of being lame/not cool, sheltered, underprivileged, or perhaps even weird or unusual. This perception has been created by a fallen culture that says a number of things such as:
“Live it up and party you only live once”
“If you not popping bottles, laying with top models, and making it rain full throttle you aren’t living”
“Cash rules everything around me”
“So what we get drunk, so what we get high, we just having fun”
What would Jesus say to those who thought this way? Perhaps something along the lines of YOU FOOL!
The Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Please let’s examine our hearts. Let us not try to justify and say oh “I don’t believe any of those quotes” and therefore this passage of scripture isn’t referring to us. The question is not do you believe or say any of those quotes the question is are you rich towards God? Do you strive to make your every aim/ambition to please God as 2nd Corinthians 5:9 says? Do you eat and even drink to the Glory of God as 1st Corinthians 10:31 commands. Every little menial task, do you do it for his Glory? Not out of selfish ambition, not to be accepted, not to be liked, not to inflate your ego, and not to live like the world. YES I RICHARD BOWMAN AM GUILTY OF THEM ALL!
How can a man who is guilty of them all preach this? The reality is not am I or have I been guilty of them all, the reality is since God has begin to regenerate my heart have I been confessionate, broken, contrite, and repentant over this reality. Psalm 51:16-17 “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
This narrow way that God speaks about is a way of battle, it is a way of fighting, it is a way against our culture, and it is a rough difficult way that we delight in. As 1st John 5:3 says “the commands of God aren’t burdensome. And as Matthew 11:30 says “his yoke is easy and his burden is light.”
Something I learned to love during TRAINING CAMP and had the opportunity to experience for one whole week was seclusion!
- Being secluded from the noisy world around us created such a peace that allowed us to fully embrace God in his entire splendor through the nature he created.
- Being secluded from fashion created such a liberating freedom to just be you. We didn’t have to dress to impress and prove beauty. That one week of training was more about God undressing the layers of bondage and regulating our heart. The regenerated heart is the dwelling place where true impressions and true beauty come from.
- Being secluded from a world full of impurity, idols, competition, electronics, discouragement, etc. was a relief. (nothing wrong with electronics, but they do become hindrances when we are consumed by them)
- Being secluded created time to greive, refelct, and examine your heart.
We desire to know God, we desire to have the power of God on our lives, it will take being secluded and being alone with God!
So yes people, seclusion serves you well, seclusion is great, seclusion is helpful, seclusion is a part of picking up our cross, seclusion is a part of walking this razor edge narrow way. EMBRACE IT!
