A friend of mine and I used to have ‘come apart’ weekends. Usually taken once a month, these weekends were designed to, as she and I would say, “come apart before you come apart.”
Too often, the busyness in our respective corner of the world prevented this from happening as frequently as was needed. Many times when she and I would talk about all the craziness that was going on in life, it wasn’t long before one of us would verbalize the need for the other one to have a ‘come apart’ weekend. Once the ‘ah-ah’ moment came and the necessity acknowledged, one was scheduled as soon as possible.
What does ‘come apart’ mean? In this case, the individual would purposefully remove his/herself from all of the craziness of everyday society, including interaction with people whether via the computer, in person, or on the telephone so he/she could spend concentrated periods in prayer and quiet contemplation. It was not uncommon
for a ‘come apart’ session to also include complete silence when no word was
spoken for the duration of this season. Setting oneself apart from the bustling activity of the world within the confines of this haven that is filled with stillness, quietness and communion with the Father allows the mind, the spirit, as well as the body, to rest. At the end of this period of seclusion, the world could once again be entered with renewed energy and greater clarity.
Jesus acts as our example for this ‘come apart’ time.
Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed.”
Luke 4:42 “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.”
Luke 6:12 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”
While a weekend is not necessarily the prescribed amount of time in these passages, it is understood here that Jesus – who was consistently pressed in by the crowds that followed Him wherever He went - removed Himself from the demands of His daily world while He prayed alone to the Father for as long as was needed in order for Him to rest and be renewed by the Father’s presence. Once this was accomplished,
He could re-enter the world and interact successfully with those whose lives He
came to impact. Can we expect our need to be any less than Christ’s? Indeed, as humans, we can expect our need to spend ‘come apart’ time with the Father to be even greater.
While it’s not feasible in the hectic pace of our word for one day, let alone two, to be set aside for this ‘come apart’ time, it is nevertheless vital for some span of time to be
dedicated each day to spend with the Father away from the world so that we, too,
can be successful in the life He longs to give us.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light.”
Do you feel yourself coming apart? Come apart before you come apart. He’s waiting for you.
(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You
Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)
Too often, the busyness in our respective corner of the world prevented this from happening as frequently as was needed. Many times when she and I would talk about all the craziness that was going on in life, it wasn’t long before one of us would verbalize the need for the other one to have a ‘come apart’ weekend. Once the ‘ah-ah’ moment came and the necessity acknowledged, one was scheduled as soon as possible.
What does ‘come apart’ mean? In this case, the individual would purposefully remove his/herself from all of the craziness of everyday society, including interaction with people whether via the computer, in person, or on the telephone so he/she could spend concentrated periods in prayer and quiet contemplation. It was not uncommon
for a ‘come apart’ session to also include complete silence when no word was
spoken for the duration of this season. Setting oneself apart from the bustling activity of the world within the confines of this haven that is filled with stillness, quietness and communion with the Father allows the mind, the spirit, as well as the body, to rest. At the end of this period of seclusion, the world could once again be entered with renewed energy and greater clarity.
Jesus acts as our example for this ‘come apart’ time.
Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed.”
Luke 4:42 “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.”
Luke 6:12 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”
While a weekend is not necessarily the prescribed amount of time in these passages, it is understood here that Jesus – who was consistently pressed in by the crowds that followed Him wherever He went - removed Himself from the demands of His daily world while He prayed alone to the Father for as long as was needed in order for Him to rest and be renewed by the Father’s presence. Once this was accomplished,
He could re-enter the world and interact successfully with those whose lives He
came to impact. Can we expect our need to be any less than Christ’s? Indeed, as humans, we can expect our need to spend ‘come apart’ time with the Father to be even greater.
While it’s not feasible in the hectic pace of our word for one day, let alone two, to be set aside for this ‘come apart’ time, it is nevertheless vital for some span of time to be
dedicated each day to spend with the Father away from the world so that we, too,
can be successful in the life He longs to give us.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light.”
Do you feel yourself coming apart? Come apart before you come apart. He’s waiting for you.
(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You
Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)
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