Why did Jesus spend so much time hiding in the wilderness?
That strikes me as a terrible strategy for influencing the largest number of people. He was completely cut off from the existing networks and leaders who could help amplify his message.
His talent pool of potential apostles was also frightfully low in the wilderness backwaters around Galilee. How in the world would he find speakers, managers, and teachers educated and sophisticated enough to carry his message to enough people? Wouldn’t they just wreck what he started?
All of that time in the wilderness also made Jesus really inefficient with his time. He was always withdrawing to pray for long stretches of time. Didn’t his life feel a bit out of balance, always praying alone or teaching a few disciples instead of communicating to larger crowds on a regular basis?
Every time Jesus returned to the centers of power and influence, the religious leaders met him with strong opposition and applied one test after another to determine whether he was an insider or an outsider. If he refused to play their games, he most assuredly had to be an outsider.
Why did Jesus choose the wilderness?
He prioritized prayer.
He preemptively identified himself as an outsider so that his message did not depend on the religious establishment to prop up his ministry. He let the message grow on its own.
Notice that Paul did something very similar. He withdrew to the wilderness for a period of time and then let his message rise and fall more on its own merit and inspiration from God rather than depending on the leaders of the early church.
The wilderness is where we begin and build the right kind of foundation so that we actually have something worthwhile to say.
I confess that I didn’t start out loving the wilderness. I still have my gripes about it today.
I’m finally appreciating the value of moving forward at my own pace (God’s pace?) as the Spirit leads. I don’t kick and scream quite as loudly when I need to go into the wilderness. I can see how a seeming step backwards into the wilderness is the only way I can move forward.
Most of us don’t need one more thing to do. We need more wilderness, more space, and more withdrawal.
I remember reading piles of Christian books throughout college and seminary, and I started to hate a particular phrase: “We must…”
We must engage this, we must consider another concept, we must remember, we must do another thing, and we must keep adding one… more… thing… to do. The more a book said “We must,” the more I resisted the impracticality of its message. It seemed like every Christian book I read was an unintentional recipe for spiritual burn out.
Americans are a people deeply invested in doing. We’re optimistic work-a-holics who have a reputation for taking a fraction of the vacation time that the rest of the world deems essential. As a culture, Americans aren’t very good at withdrawing from much of anything. When we burn out, we immediately blame ourselves for not being strong enough, not being resilient, not being organized, or not hiring someone to help us do more.
If we try to fix a problem, we tend to fix it by adding “something” else to the mix rather than subtracting. If you want to fix your diet, you focus on eating MORE of something else, such as meat (hello, Dr. Atkins). If you want to fix your crowded schedule, you get a cool new app or five cool new apps that all sync together. If you want to fix clutter, you buy better storage containers.
As a culture, we don’t have much of a grid for disconnecting. We don’t naturally value the wisdom of those who speak from a place of simplicity and less unless that simplicity comes with a product attached to it.
Venturing into the wilderness doesn’t look like STRONG LEADERSHIP(TM). We fear that the vision, strategy, and key results are all going right down the toilet when we step away. Perhaps they will. Then again, if we keep pushing, keep adding, keep trying to bear it all, we will break down, wear out, and burn out. We need the strength to admit our weakness.
It’s an act of faith to withdraw. I’m trusting God to provide for us and to guide us when I step back and make the nearly impossible admission that I can’t do it all, that I don’t know where all of this heading, and perhaps exerting more control is the worst thing for me.
Most importantly, when I look around and wish I had more influence or could expand my work to new, greater heights, that’s most likely the exact moment I need the wilderness. Growth that’s lasting and meaningful comes from the wilderness.
The lure of “I want it now!” success doesn’t mix well with the wilderness.
The wilderness will kill our drive for quick success. That’s why we need the wilderness.
Read More about Contemplative Prayer…
After years of anxious, hard-working spirituality, I found peace with God by practicing contemplative prayer. I’ve written an introduction to this historic Christian practice titled:
Flee, Be Silent, Pray:
Ancient Prayers for Anxious Christians
Amazon | Herald Press | CBD
Ed Cyzewski: Author // Contemplative 
I’m writing a book on the lives of four of us who have started ministries at ski resorts, and one of my subjects spent summers leading wilderness back-packing trips for youth. The payback for participants was profound and often life-changing. The elements of a wilderness environment free of technological distractions (one group even banned watches), led by Christians with a dynamic relationship with Jesus and including opportunities for individual accomplishment (summiting a tall mountain for instance) gave give these kids a whole new outlook on life and the Lord. Timely that I should be reading your own take on it as I’m preparing my final draft. One thing I’ve wondered about: the Bible says we were created from the dust of the earth. Could there then be some sort of primordial attachment to the earth, especially in the undisturbed form available in wilderness settings? “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things…” Isaiah 40:26
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Ed, this is so inspiring and causes me resolve to just be faithful with what God has given me in writing, to improve it and to just keep pressing on. Thank you so much, I needed this today!
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“The wilderness is where we begin and build the right kind of foundation so that we actually have something worthwhile to say.”
There is so much gold in that statement. The seminary I graduated from fusses constantly about marketing and re-branding. Yet every time I visit the campus to pray in the chapel, I am alone in the room.
This statement should be everywhere. I might start going to church again.
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Ed, Your words so resonated with my spirit. While living abroad for 5 years (on a Mediterranean island) God instilled in me the habit of slow and intentional living and the art of finding joy in the simple things. I wrote about it all in a blog for those five years. Returning to the frenetic life in America has been a challenge but God is faithful and I find writing has helped. My new blog, http://www.slowfoodforthesoul.wordpress.com addresses a lot of what you so eloquently expressed in this post. Thanks and keep up the good work! Melanie
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Thank you, Ed! I didn’t want to go out into the wilderness. No way! Who has time for that. But since 2013 I’ve had a chronic illness that has slowly robbed me of my strength and ability to focus. I now work horizontally, often in bed, and I spend all my time alone. My writing goals are, of course, affected, and yet here I am.
I’m learning valuable lessons I couldn’t learn any other way. I’m focusing on what is truly important. Intimacy with Christ is precious, and I’m learning to let go, trust Him, and quit forming bullet-pointed “I must…” lists. My workaholism is severely hampered – thank God. As you said, “Growth that’s lasting and meaningful comes from the wilderness.”
I needed yet another reminder, as I do almost every day. Thank you!
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Oh wow, that is a difficult but incredibly valuable lesson to learn. Do you read Tanya Marlow’s blog? I think you two would have a good time messaging each other throughout the day. 🙂
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I needed to hear this today. It’s reassuring that this quiet life is right where I need to be right now. And that I need to listen for God’s voice and keep writing even though my audience is small. I’m not sure I want to have 10,000 followers to be honest…Thank you for your wise words and kind encouragement.
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At the very least writing for 10,000 followers on any platform can get expensive. 🙂
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I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. But even at my level it’s expensive as I pay for FB to show people my blog posts, though I’m trying to cut back on that. Thanks for your gracious responses.
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Great thoughts and very timely for our fast-paced lives today. We need to slow down in order to hear the voice of Jesus. This was something I had to learn as well. God uses the slowing down to direct our lives. And it’s great to know that he actually does direct our lives and speaks into the particularities of them. I recently shared my journey regarding “God’s Will” here, check it out: http://mirrordimly.dispatchmontreal.com/can-we-know-gods-will-for-our-lives-part-1/
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I like the idea of slowing down for God’s direction rather than speeding up in order to exert more personal control.
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Great post Ed! The wilderness kind of brings us into a place of waiting on the Lord because we can’t do what we want to or would do… I’ve learned this one from experience, and I’m not one for waiting or stepping back very willingly.
But… I’ve found the Lord has a lot of ways to “help” me pull back to listen, watch, wait, etc. After 40+ years, still learning how to embrace the wilderness. Thanks!
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I agree. It’s definitely a work in progress, and It’s often something where I”m like: Wait, I have to do the wilderness thing AGAIN?
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I enjoyed this post. These lines spoke to me: Why did Jesus choose the wilderness? He prioritized prayer. He preemptively identified himself as an outsider so that his message did not depend on the religious establishment to prop up his ministry. He let the message grow on its own.
I found this encouraging & also gave me understanding about a personal situation. It’s okay, good & often necessary to be in the wilderness. After all, we’re in good company. Thanks, Ed.
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Yes, we rarely go to the wilderness voluntarily, but it can often be a blessing!
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Great post! I had a recent post on wilderness as well, from a slight different angle. I’m trying to hear good news in Lenten themes. Thanks for the reminder of the Holy ineffiency of desert places.
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“Holy inefficiency”? Love it!
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