Burnout is on the rise due to the constant demands of life. We keep our foot on the gas pedal, rewarded by going and going.
What do we do when it all seems like too much? What do we do with the signs of burnout?
According to Jesus, sometimes a person must take their foot off the gas pedal and hit the brakes.
In Mark 1:35-39, Jesus goes off to pray on his own. He is seeking solitude.
The placement of this story is not random. In the previous verses, he cast out demons and healed many. Now, the author of Mark includes a moment of separation.
By getting up early and creating the time, Jesus finds solitude. His moment does not go on for long, though. Peter and others “went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you’” (v. 36-37).
Either they had plans, or no one wanted to leave him alone. Jesus, the Son of God, could not get a restful moment to himself. If he had not put his foot on the brake, his own needs would never have been met.
Later, in Mark 6:30-34, Jesus purposely tried to maintain solitude again: “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.”
Instead of the disciples interrupting Jesus’ need for solitude, this time, the crowds began to swarm. After a long day of teaching and preaching on empty stomachs, Jesus and the disciples desperately needed solitude and rest.
Mark 8:1-13 follows the same pattern. Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the four thousand.
Afterwards, Jesus and the disciples left. Instead of the crowd or the disciples, this time, the Pharisees came to question Jesus.
In response, Jesus “sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it” (v. 12). Jesus was exhausted, yet the Pharisees continued to push him.
In these three instances, the disciples, the crowd and the Pharisees push against Jesus’ boundaries and desire for solitude.
Likewise, life does not care about our limitations. It keeps pushing us forward. Family, careers and relationships demand attention and time.
There appear to be more benefits in life and society to keeping a foot on the gas instead of braking every once in a while.
However, this does not take away from the empty sign appearing on our dashboards. We will need to stop at the gas station for more fuel.
The spiritual discipline of solitude allows for this to happen. It hits the brake and creates pit stops for our lives.
To create these pit stops, we embody our faith and look to Jesus as our example. Through finding time alone, he recognized his own limitations and the gift solitude brings.
At its core, solitude is where our real, authentic selves appear. With nothing to purposely do and people to impress, only then can we really emerge.
To practice the spiritual discipline of solitude, we must challenge social norms that teach us to constantly feel urgency. This urgency leads us to believe everything must happen immediately. If it is not fast, then it’s not worth it.
Stress thrives in this environment. We become hyper-focused on the next task.
Solitude teaches us to slow down, and this practice does not happen on its own. We must make time to meditate or practice this form of self-care.
It’s counter-cultural and might seem pointless. Yet, when someone takes time alone in the presence of God and is not constantly busy, they are not selfish or unproductive. They seek restoration and liberation for the soul.
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A current Master of Divinity student at Campbell University Divinity School.
