This is the final post in an eight-part series looking at the rhythm of going to ‘a quiet place.’ I hope and pray it’s a blessing for your life in Christ!

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Why do we go to a quiet place, and spend time seeking God?

For the sake of others.

We withdraw for the world when we withdraw from it.

Or so Robert Mulholland Jr. thinks. Here’s what he says about our spiritual formation;

‘Spiritual formation “for the sake of others” will be seen to move against the grain of a privatized and individualized religion and the deep-seated belief that spiritual life is a matter between the individual and God. There can be no wholeness in the image of Christ which is not incarnate with others, both in the body of Christ and in the world.’

Why read Scripture, sabbath, pray, and meet with other believers?

Sure, to mould and shape us. To comfort and encourage us. So that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus. But the implication of what Mulholland is saying is that isn’t where it stops. It is a means to the end of loving both the body of Christ and the world.

I love this thought because it presses on our motivations. It reminds us that Jesus goes to the quiet place to spend time with his Father, but he always returns and pours himself out in service of others.

I pray and hope this practice has been helpful for your life in Christ—and that as it draws you closer to him, it also propels you into the lives of others with love.

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As we come to a close in thinking about the rhythm of ‘a quiet place’, my prayer is you’ve been encouraged to pursue Jesus in the quiet as an expression of love and devotion to him, and that in turn that will ultimately lead to a life of love for others. If you’ve got questions, thoughts, or particular things that stood out for you - I’d love to hear from you!