Bible study series: week 3: The Heart and Solitude

The Heart and Solitude

Verses about the Heart:

Proverbs 4:20-24 reminds us to keep the words of God's wisdom "in the midst of your heart," and that from there "they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body." (vs. 21-22 NAS) Then comes the exhortation, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." (vs. 23).

In Mark 7:15, 20-23, Jesus teaches about the true source of evil in human life: "The things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.... For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness."

In Luke 6, he points out that "there is no good tree which produces bad fruit.... Men do not gather figs from thorns bushes...." (vss. 43-44) It is the inner nature of the tree that determines its outward product. Likewise, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (vs. 45)

Solitude: We purposefully abstain from interaction with other people, denying ourselves companionship and all that comes from our conscious interaction with others. This is not just for our refreshment or rest, but it is choosing to be alone and to spend time alone with God in order to develop your one on one intimacy with Him. BUT solitude frees us really. The normal course of day to day human interactions locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared to a world set against God. Solitude can allow the development of a freedom from the ingrained behaviors that hinder our integration into God’s order.  In solitude, we find the perspective from which we can see, in the light of eternity, the created things that trap, worry, and oppress us.

            But solitude carries its risks because we confront our own soul with its obscure forces and conflicts that escape our attention when we are interacting with others. Thus, solitude is a terrible trial, for it serves to crack open and burst apart the shell of our superficial securities. “It opens out to us the unknown, haunted abyss that we all carry within us.”  We can only survive solitude if we cling to Christ there. And yet what we find of him in that solitude enables us to return to society as free persons.

            Of all the disciplines, this is especially essential in the beginning of our spiritual life, because the “desert” or “closet” is the primary place of strength for the beginner, as it was for Jesus and Paul. In stark aloneness, it is possible to have silence, to be still, and to know that Jehovah indeed is God, to set the Lord before our minds with sufficient intensity and duration that we stay fixed upon him, established in trust, even when back in the office, school, or home. This discipline is also important as a precedent to fasting, prayer, service, giving, or even celebration because we need preparation for all of these disciplines, which is largely accomplished in withdrawal.

Thought Questions:

1. What are some things you see in your heart that you want God to transform? (ie. being critical/judgmental of others, gossip, sexual immorality, worry and fear, negative body image, caring what others think too much, pride/thinking you are always right or maybe that you do not really need God, not truly loving others or showing favor to people whom you can possibly get something from, jealousy, gluttony, lust for pleasure, idolatry of all kinds (ie. money, success, appearance, social status))
2. What are some patterns of thought, feeling, and action that you recognize in yourself that are a product of the world set against God?
3. In what ways do you long for your life to be more abundant? What do you think you are missing if anything? (intimacy with God, love, joy, peace, a more living faith, hope, more integration of faith with every part of life, healthy relationships, intimate community/fellowship, empowerment to not succumb to temptations, etc.)
4. What things besides Jesus do you look to for satisfaction and fulfillment?
5. Do you feel hopeful and really believe that spending time alone with God consistently and developing a more intimate relationship with God will be the main thing that brings about transformation and abundance in your life and heart? If not why not?
6. How else do you think you can “take care of your heart” as it says to do in Proverbs 4?
7. How can you have patience and grace with yourself in this process?