The soul’s formation in Christ is our most significant endeavor. It requires us to attend to the realities, capacities, and needs of the soul in relational terms. When we do so we realize that our souls are “relationally permeable.” In our relationships we absorb the presence of others. This is why our family of origin had such a substantial role in shaping the way we perceive, process, and present ourselves in relationships. We learned a way of “being a me” in order to meet the five foundational needs of security, affirmation, control, significance, and competence. Our family of origin established for us our first emotional understanding of “normal” in relationships.
We believe Christian soul formation must take into account these early influences. Alan Jones describes this growth in awareness as “waking up.” We awaken to who, what, and how we were first formed in our earliest relationships. This is often not simply an enlightening experience. It can be painful and scary. As a result people often want to know what to do as they become aware of things. When faced with the question, “What do I do now?” the most important thing is to simply attend to what you are noticing. This is why the disciplines of solitude and silence is so important.
Solitude and silence are the disciplines which provide the space and stillness needed to listen deeply to our soul and the voice of God. Without the capacity to quiet and still the soul the Christian life becomes pretty much a journey of spiritualizing our neurotic and compulsive tendencies in order to feel safe. Deep, substantial soul transformation calls for stillness before God, and a quiet listening to God. Our desire to do the next step is indicative of our compulsiveness to act. Often when we prematurely start “doing” we attempt to resolve issues within our souls by the very same ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving which created the difficulties and dilemmas in the first place.
Solitude and silence are the means by which God can speak into the deepest terrain of our soul. After all, we believe the work of transforming our souls is the work of the Holy Spirit. Solitude and silence are disciplines that foster the soul’s trust of the Spirit’s presence and His work of transformation. He has begun a good work in us, and He will bring it to completion.
As a Christian, don’t worry so much about what is next; rather intentionally seek to be attentive to the presence of God within you. Grow in your perception and realization that your life is held in Christ, and that you live in union with the Triune God. That will be enough for now!
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Mark as SpamShelley Ramsey without intentionally and routinely taking the time to quiet and still the soul, the Christian life pretty much becomes a journey of religious busyness as opposed to a season of tasting the breath of Jesus
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Phil Ramsey I agree whole heartedly that silence and solitude is severly missing in many Christians life. I like the way you set up the aspect of our family of origin shaping our formidable soul, and then how later we can slow down and sort out through times of silence and solitude, the scary and revealing disfunctions that screw with who we are. Cleaning the inside of the cup seemed to me to be more important to Christ than the outside – as you put it our “spiritualizing our neurotic and compulsive tendencies in order to feel safe” – Some of us tend to avoid planting our tree near the refreshing underground water table or river, and prefer to not water the tree and paint plastic fruit and carefully hang them on the tree. Ah, isnt image wonderful! Lots of “God talk” – “Hey brother so and so! Praise God everything is fine with me!” I have though just a little problem refering to Silence and Solitude as a discipline. i just knew you were expecting that though! Of course, nothing wrong with discipline – without it none of us slackards could hold down a job! I mean, to me – not eating that second piece of cake or a regimented daily routine of exercise is what I call discpline – NIETHER very pleasant! I understand that slowing down and being quiet and alone can be a chore for some – but just so it does not become yet another
“compulsion to act” as you put it… another thing to do on my spiritual list of things to do.. another chore on the task oriented compulsive life. If so, soon even the silience and solitude becomes a Christian work, or discipline, to please “the Lord” in order to win his favor, once again reverting back to the screwed up soul formation one got from thier family of origin. You mentioned that we believe that the holy spirit is the medium of transformation of our soul. I believe that too. My favorite description of the holy spirit is in John 3 where Jesus tells Nichodemus (or however you spell his name) that the holy spirit is like the wind – it comes and goes as it pleases and that you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That signifies to me a picture of unpredicability – a metaphor of mystery, and a statement of God’s soveriegnty. To set aside a time for silence and solitude to summon the holy spirit, almost smacks of withcraft or manipulating God to send his holy spirit on cue for the appointment that you arranged. I know of course you dont believe this but I know of plenty who have “disciplined” themselves to arrange for this on schedule and live to brag about it! I believe Gods soul transforming spiirt can show up at really wierd times – many times yes, during silence or solitude or both – but during other avenues of mystery such as through the arts, such as music or drama (film). I believe that the holy spirit definetley blows in like the wind with human interaction that is an “inside cup experience” reciieved from someone planted by the river. Nothing planned. I recall sitting under a tent on a windy day, they were burying my first born son – and as I was shaking and sobbing a friend very siliently came over and placed his hand on my shoulder and in that moment a soul cleansing and forming moment of the winds of God’s spirit took place. Not in solitude necessarily but in silence – no words. So thanks for that Jim.
Excellent summary of the purpose and importance of this much neglected discipline. “A busy leader spins webs of activity to satisfy an inner yearning for meaning and the hungry expectations of others. Our busyness has little to do with God. The real cost of busyness, therefore, is the loss of our spiritual vitality…” – Dan Allender