Other times, we will seek confirmation about vital life choices. We might want to know if it’s time to take the next step in a relationship, a career choice, or another critical juncture (1 Peter 1:13). But sometimes, the only way to determine whether things will work out is to keep moving forward one action at a time (James 1:22). It is better to take incremental steps toward a greater goal than to rush into something prematurely and unprepared (Proverbs 16:9).

Are you unsure if God is giving you the green light to get married? Keep dating and pray for clarity. Do you need help to decide whether to transition from your current job to another employer? Keep working and pray for God to open and close doors that pertain to employment as He sees fit (Proverbs 3:5-6). Is it plausible that God wants to teach you something where you are right now and wants you to be patient (Romans 8:24-25)? Pray for wisdom to determine if you’re missing out on a lesson or if it’s time to make a more substantial adjustment (James 1:5-8). So, ultimately, we aim to balance aligning our desires with God’s timing and continue preparing for the future (Ecclesiastes 3:17).

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom

Look back a year, several years, or even a decade. Hasn’t God always been faithful to help you overcome every obstacle? He has a perfect track record (Romans 5:5). Why would you start doubting Him now? When you look back, do you see that there’s been significant progress in your life? Sometimes, it may be a slow progression from our perspective, but in God’s eyes, it’s the perfect timeline. We don’t have to measure our success based on the speed at which others operate. There will be people who may appear to have an advantage over us in several areas of life, but often, they may even feel the same way about us. Even if we counted all of it as a loss, it would be worth it if it were necessary to gain Jesus Christ in return (Philippians 3:8).

In any case, we don’t know what they sacrificed to get where they are. So, instead of staring at greener grass on their side of the fence, we should applaud the success of our peers and keep an eye on our lawn care instead. Their blessings don’t interfere with God’s timing for our blessings (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). The mistake lies in spending too much time and effort focusing on their gains rather than our victory in Jesus Christ (Psalm 118:14).

Instead of spending excessive time on social media or daydreaming about those around us, we should be investing in God’s will for us. We should concentrate on the things above and navigate life with an eternal mindset (Colossians 3:2). There’s no superior way to conduct our lives than doing everything for God’s glory and our ultimate good. If we love God and He calls us according to His purpose, we know that God guarantees this outcome for eternity (Romans 8:28). Does that always pan out how we want to in this life? No, but that’s where our faith comes in. A faith that in and of itself is a gift from God to us (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

We cannot find fulfillment in the things of this world (1 John 2:17). Only in God and a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, can we find our anchor of hope (Hebrews 6:19-20). He is the sole source able to complete the gigantic, missing puzzle piece in our hearts (Psalm 107:9). Without Him, we have nothing and cannot produce anything of eternal value (John 15:5). With Him, we have everything, including the blessing of sharing eternity in heaven with Him forever (1 John 2:24-25)! If we try to find personal satisfaction in the limited things here on earth, we will always come up short (Ecclesiastes 1:14). 

Nothing can appease us in the long term without God being at the center (Psalm 16:11). Apart from God, people feed the insatiable appetites of their flesh, and unmet expectations abound. A man or woman of God knows they cannot find lasting joy, satisfaction, contentment, or blessings in this world apart from God (1 John 2:16). We cannot even discover it in the good things when we idolize them over God who provides every good and perfect gift in its time (James 1:17). Sometimes, God may not offer specific opportunities until we’re ready to handle them and steward them graciously. Otherwise, we may get lost in the blessing and lose sight of the bigger picture found in His plan (2 Peter 3:9).

We must be open to the idea that since God gives us everything, He also has the authority to take away anything at any time He pleases (Psalm 24:1; Job 1:21). However, we know His character is unchanging, and His promises are irrevocable (Hebrews 13:8). For instance, God is not taking away that eternal gift of fellowship He gave you through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). You don’t have to worry about losing your salvation if you have found it in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). But it would be tragic if that promise led you to backslide or compromise your faith at every turn (Romans 6:1-2). Instead, it should inspire us to do good works that glorify Him (Ephesians 2:10). We must cling tightly to God’s promises and understand that some are conditioned based on our obedience. We must also distinguish between principles and promises to avoid confusion, but that is beyond the scope of today’s article.

May God equip all of us to seek Him above all else. May we walk in the victory Jesus Christ already won. Jesus Christ is our forerunner in the faith. He fully understands the gravity of what we go through regarding every aspect of humanity, including our trials and temptations (Hebrews 6:19-20). He alone can empathize with us on the deepest level and comfort us in times of need. The One who bottles our tears and counts the hairs on our heads will not abandon or forsake us (Psalm 56:8-11; Luke 12:7; Hebrews 13:5). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May we bring God glory in all our endeavors and submit to His will by aligning our desires with His (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV).

There are times when I actively pursue God with outstanding zeal and other seasons when I find my attention divided (Luke 10:38-42). Sometimes it is rooted in mistakenly erecting idols or spreading ourselves too thinly across many areas (1 Corinthians 10:14). We might find ourselves in a state of satisfaction where we immerse ourselves in the things of God but then allow elements of compromise to open the door to complacency. A certain degree of self-awareness helps greatly in cases like this. If we realize that our hearts are not all-in for God’s glory, we can at least acknowledge that change is needed (2 Corinthians 13:5). Otherwise, it is easy to continue to slip away from God. As any seasoned believer will tell you, only bad things can come from that. The last thing we can afford to concede is our intimacy with Jesus Christ (John 15:4-6).

In cases like these, we might also make the mistaken connection of thinking that our standing with God might improve based on our performance. In terms of salvation, this could not be further from the truth (Ephesians 2:8-9)! Likewise, if we do things for God, they should flow out of gratitude and transformation in our lives (Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:10). In other words, we know that God will not love us anymore or any less based on what we do. We cannot earn God’s grace (unmerited favor). By definition, it is something we do not deserve in the first place. Suffice it to say that we are inspired to do good works as a result of being believers, not to become saved or maintain our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:22-23).

Our world sidetracks us with many distractions that detract from our focus on eternity. We must remind ourselves and other loved ones that such endeavors may not effectively redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16-21). At times we tend to concentrate on the circumstances this world puts us in with greater attention than that which we extend toward God. Meanwhile, we should recognize God’s sovereignty and find our ultimate source of comfort, satisfaction, solutions, and rest in Him (Psalm 16:11). Instead, we tend to resort to our efforts to solve problems that often only serve to stress us out or instill worry in us concerning matters outside our control (Matthew 6:34). Furthermore, many of these issues that we blow out of proportion eventually prove less of a threat to our lives than we thought they would be.

Of course, I am not advocating that we settle into a pattern of passivity and fail to address the outstanding issues we must face. On the contrary, God wants us to be faithful and fearlessly seek His will in good and bad times. The key is to remember that God and His numerous provisions are available to us as we face these battles (2 Peter 1:3). Rather than attempting to handle something alone, we can follow God’s will and seek counsel from others who can offer wisdom on navigating the situation (Proverbs 11:14). Likewise, instead of worrying about our circumstances, we can pray to God and surrender our requests, concerns, and anxieties at His feet (1 Peter 5:7). Finally, we may need to exercise humility if personally stressed or on the verge of burnout. Sharing that information with our loved ones who God has surrounded us with and seeking His help and peace is crucial (Galatians 6:9-10).

Another issue that pops up on an alarming basis is the perception that one has tasted enough of God’s presence (Ecclesiastes 8:3). For instance, we may live in a toxic work environment or face countless worldly situations from one Sunday to the next. We might think that as long as we replenish ourselves with God’s Word for that Sunday service, we can handle a whole week without continuing to pursue God. Then we are caught off guard when we do not feel God’s presence as intimately and lack spiritual nourishment (Psalm 46:10). We need to recognize that a brief sermon is not sufficient to cope with the weight of this world across the span of a week.

As such, we must consider options such as surrounding ourselves with Christian fellowship, personal Bible study, involvement in a Church small group, and maintaining an active prayer life (Hebrews 10:25, 1 Chronicles 6:11). I am not saying all these things are necessary simultaneously. Still, in a general sense, they serve to edify you and those around you in extraordinary ways over time (1 Thessalonians 5:11-13). They also open the door for you to share your insight with other believers and allow you to serve God in the process.

One of the key takeaways from all this is to recall that it isn’t likely that we remain stationary in our walk with Jesus Christ. Instead, we walk toward Him or away from Him with every decision we make (Joshua 24:15). While we cannot lose our salvation through patterns of continuous, unrepentant sin, it should concern us if we are not observing sanctification in our lives overall (1 Thessalonians 4:3). It follows that our intimacy with Jesus Christ should be prioritized and could suffer if we fail to neglect such concerns. We must avoid compromise at all costs and draw nearer to God at every opportunity (Isaiah 55:6). Every decision tends to lead us closer or further away from God. We should set our sights on the significance of eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ and recall how brief our life is by comparison (Psalm 144:4, James 4:14). As such, let us seek God and His will by actively pursuing a relationship with our Lord and Savior. After all, it is only in, with, and through Jesus Christ that we successfully do anything of eternal value.

As with many other things in life, exercising moderation and finding the balance that best suits you should be your consistent aspiration. I would venture to say there is no one size fits all answer regarding the frequency of seclusion versus the time we spend with people because we are not duplicates of one another. There are also many moving parts to consider before establishing the pattern that best suits you. For instance, some of us are introverted by nature and will gravitate towards more independence to attain rest and peace. Meanwhile, extroverted people might derive comfort and joy from maximizing time spent with people. Examples of additional factors to help determine the best balance for you include the following:

• Current energy levels.
• Knowing our limits (i.e., stamina, stress, physical needs, etc.)
• Patterns of behavior. (i.e., recent activities, exposure of the senses to stimuli or lack thereof, etc.)

Recognizing these variables and considering the many that remain unmentioned above makes it challenging to determine optimal circumstances for ourselves, let alone for people in the aggregate. Interestingly, solitude provides us ample time to reflect and grow to learn what we need, want, and hope to achieve. However, liabilities like loneliness or depression can creep in if we over-emphasize it at the expense of spending time with loved ones.

Many of us, including those who identify as introverts, conceded that the recent epidemic we collectively faced stretched our affinity for alone time. Despite the connectivity technological advances provided through social media and apps like Zoom, almost everyone I recall speaking with afterward was thankful to reconnect with people again. It is not a stretch to conclude that parts of our physical, mental, and spiritual wellness rely on seeing people face-to-face and interacting beyond our computer screens. There is no denying that we are all social on some level. It is just a matter of determining where each of us lands on that spectrum that helps us pinpoint the proper balance of solitude and community that works for us accordingly.

As believers, this should indicate how vital it is to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). Sharing God’s love with those we encounter may seem like a small, unnecessary, or even inconsequential gesture to us at the moment. However, these moments have the power to change the trajectory of people’s lives. We have no idea what some people have faced throughout the day, let alone their lives before we run into them. Opening someone’s door, lending a helping hand, or sharing God’s Word could lead to a tipping point in the right direction (Philippians 2:1-4). A lifetime of acts such as these may translate to eternal blessing for them and eternal reward for us (Matthew 6:19-21). We might even experience the privilege of leading some to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and avoid eternity in hell (Romans 1:16, Isaiah 55:11)!

Balancing intentionality with our solitude and immersing ourselves in our local Church community assists us in overcoming the numerous distractions that contend for our attention. Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught up in the motions and forget to be intentional with our resources, time, and energy (1 Peter 4:10, Luke 16:1-13). Looking for the thrill of our next moment of instant gratification, we may resort to things like excessive social media, pornography, drugs, sex, alcohol, and so forth. These can develop into harmful patterns of behavior and even sinful addictions if left unchecked. Such dead-end roads reward us with unearned, momentary dopamine releases that feel extremely good for the moment and leave behind a wake of pain, stress, anxiety, worry, or even depression to cope with later (Romans 6:20-23). If behaviors like these become habitual, they typically motivate us to pursue more extreme measures involving a higher quantity and extended duration of exposure to acquire similar highs.

Thankfully, when we fight alongside other believers and encourage one another to overcome such setbacks, we can develop accountability and extra lines of defense before these detrimental behaviors get out of control (1 Peter 5:8-9). We must avoid the traps above and instead enjoy God-given pleasures responsibly in their time while we repent of the sinful ones with God’s help (Acts 3:19). For instance, we can enjoy sex in a marriage relationship between a man and woman with God’s blessing. In contrast, outside of marriage, it is a sinful endeavor. We must refrain from settling for the fool’s gold the devil has to offer if we want to experience God’s best. After all, He is the One Who invented sex. It is worth noting some things are intrinsically wrong. For example, pornography is immoral, and we should fight to avoid it consistently (Matthew 5:28). Thankfully, when we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can cling to His promises to us. He has set us free from slavery to such sins (Romans 6:20-22). If we reach out to Him for help, He will assist us. We can rest assured He has won the war over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Thus, we no longer need to live in condemnation (Romans 8:1).

Whether in a period of solitude or with your loved ones, remember you can always reach out to them for help. There is a reason God has empowered you to help others, and I would bet that those you have invested in will gladly be there for you when you need it most. If all else fails, God Himself will always be with you and never leave or forsake you (Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5-8). Take comfort in His presence and provisions today!