Happy Tuesday Saints.
After John the Baptist was beheaded, his disciples buried his body and then “WENT AND REPORTED TO JESUS.”
After receiving the tragic news, Matthew 14:13 says, “WHEN JESUS HEARD ABOUT IT, HE WITHDREW FROM THERE BY BOAT TO A REMOTE PLACE TO BE ALONE.”
It isn’t just OK to withdraw and be alone after a tragedy; sometimes, it’s necessary. Too often, we try to numb ourselves by keeping busy and doing everything we can to suppress our feelings.
Jesus withdrew “BY BOAT” and went to “A REMOTE PLACE TO BE ALONE.”
Sometimes, we just need “TO BE ALONE.” We need time to grieve, time to process our emotions, time to think and reflect, and time to pray and seek God for strength.
It’s OK to cry too. In John 11:35, “JESUS WEPT,” as He sympathised with those who were mourning the death of Lazarus.
For people who were created to feel all kinds of emotions – we spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into suppressing our feelings.
But when we bottle them up inside and don’t allow ourselves some time to sense them and experience the difficulty – they will come out later in more destructive and harmful ways.
When we don’t take the time that we need “TO BE ALONE,” we won’t be able to move forward with peace. We won’t be able to support others effectively. And we won’t be able to do the will of God appropriately as we carry the pressure and weight of unprocessed emotions.
It’s OK to “BE ALONE.” Family, work, ministry, and everything else in your life will still be there afterwards. After Jesus withdrew to be alone, He “WENT ASHORE” and later that evening miraculously fed five thousand people.
Sometimes, we need to “BE ALONE” so that we can be more powerful and productive afterwards.
Have an awesome day Saints. God bless and lots’a love,
Warren
