Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me … Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy. Psalm 43:3–4

Because life can be so busy, there are days when I want to take a vacation from my cell phone, e-mail, and all the other technology that sometimes feels like it controls our daily lives. But the great news is that no matter how complicated life becomes, God’s invitation for His children remains uncomplicated: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It’s astounding to think that the Creator of the Universe invites us to discover Him in a more authentic way through the practice of entering into solitude and silence. This is where we find Him most, when we—even if it’s for a short time—leave the busy world behind.

In her book “An Invitation to Solitude and Silence,” Ruth Haley Barton writes: “The invitation to solitude and silence is . . . an invitation to enter more deeply into the intimacy of relationship with the One who waits just outside the noise and busyness of our lives. It is an invitation to communication and communion with the One who is always present even when our awareness has been dulled by distraction. It is an invitation into the adventure of spiritual transformation into the deepest places of our being, an adventure that will result in greater and greater freedom and authenticity and surrender to God than we have yet experienced.”

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When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:26-27

Rita and I sometimes struggle with how and what to teach our four daughters and now their husbands. We instructed our children and teenagers to surround themselves with those they wanted to become like. We encouraged them to spend time with good students, athletes, teachers and coaches who modeled humility, hard work and a strong faith in Jesus. The closer relationships our children built with their classmates and authorities, the more opportunities they experienced to serve others and to grow their own interests. Our adult children still need wisdom, encouragement and grace to best determine God’s will for their lives. Close proximity to Christ and His followers creates the best opportunities.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters, Boyd Bailey – Proximity Creates Opportunity  →