“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
Emerson’s words come back to me nearly every day, especially now that Joe and I are no longer living in the solitude of the northwoods. According to Scripture, we Christians are to be in the world, yet not of it. Since most of us cannot dwell physically apart from society forever, and cannot always escape to the wilderness to renew our inner fortitude, we must learn to carry that solitude deep within our souls—in the midst of society. The balancing act delineated by Emerson in the above quote is essential to the survival of one’s soul.
Only one lifestyle enables me to maintain the independence of solitude with perfect sweetness: that of realizing the presence of the Lord Jesus in every waking moment. Inner solitude and sweetness can only be achieved by resting in Him, knowing He is in me, soaking up His Word, confessing my sins, and yielding my frustrations to Him in prayer.
My soul’s health requires that I live in a spirit of worship—praising God for whom He is, acknowledging His attributes, and rejoicing in the fact that He is in control. True “independence” is God-dependence. The Lord enables us to keep the independence of solitude with perfect sweetness, even in the midst of society.
Margaret L. Been—All Rights Reserved
Grace with Salt -- Biblical Reflections by Margaret L. Been 