The Need for Solitude
We need to find solitude and escape the world's intrusion to drink and renew our strength before facing the world again.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the critical need for solitude in a world filled with distractions that hinder our devotional life. He reflects on how modern civilization complicates our ability to retreat and renew our spirits, contrasting it with the quiet times of the past. Tozer laments that while technology offers comfort, it also threatens our inner peace and connection with God. He urges listeners to seek moments of solitude to commune with their hearts and find strength amidst the chaos. The sermon concludes with a prayer for the ability to escape the noise and find time for reflection.
Text
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. --Matthew 14:23
Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.
"The thoughtful soul to solitude retires," said the poet of other and quieter times; but where is the solitude to which we can retire today? Science, which has provided men with certain material comforts, has robbed them of their souls by surrounding them with a world hostile to their existence. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still" is a wise and healing counsel, but how can it be followed in this day of the newspaper, the telephone, the radio and the television? These modern playthings, like pet tiger cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all. What was intended to be a blessing has become a positive curse. No spot is now safe from the world's intrusion. Of God and Men, 125.
"If Tozer wrestled with this in his day, how much more are we bombarded today! We have all the influences of which he speaks, and much more all-pervasive, plus the internet and a host of other 'playthings' seeking to devour us. Lord, help us somehow to escape today and retire to solitude, even if only for a brief time. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Modern Civilization
- The Importance of Solitude
- The Challenges of Finding Solitude
- The influence of science and technology
- The impact of modern conveniences
Key Quotes
“The thoughtful soul to solitude retires,” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should make time to escape the world's intrusion and retire to solitude, even if only for a brief time.
- We need to be intentional about creating space for solitude and quiet reflection in our lives.
- Solitude is essential for drinking and renewing our strength before facing the world again.