Why Leaders Must Practice Solitude
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see a busy man.
He’s healing the sick, he’s feeding the poor, he’s preaching the good news to the world, he’s developing the leaders around him, and he’s fulfilling his mission on earth. However, when we look at the life of Jesus from another angle, we also often see him practicing solitude. His life was incredibly busy and consumed with the mission before him, so, sure, it makes sense that he would have to sometimes take a “time out.”
But I would contend that maybe we’re looking at this backwards. We are a culture that lives and dies by productivity and technology. Of course, we like a busy Jesus because he’s like us! But rather than his simply being a busy man who sometimes needed to unplug, maybe it was Jesus’ solitary times with the Father that drove him and energized him to fulfill his mission. Perhaps our life’s work and our daily rhythms are actually nurtured and nourished by the regular practice of solitude.
Solitude, not work, creates the fertile ground for leaders to thrive.
Practice Solitude Like Jesus Did
We see this dynamic in the life of Jesus. Jesus was intentional about solitude. Prior to beginning his public ministry, Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness, praying and fasting (Matthew 4:1-11). Later, after an evening of healing and casting out demons, Jesus withdrew in the morning to a quiet place to spend time in prayer (Mark 1:35). In a similar fashion, Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray after feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:23). We also see Jesus choosing to spend time alone before making the major decision about who to call as his apostles (Luke 6:12-13) and spending time alone simply to recharge from a busy stretch of ministry (Luke 5:16).
How to Practice Solitude Every Day
Practicing solitude is work! We are trained by the forces around us to follow the flow set by our culture and the media. But for Christians, practicing solitude is a foundational practice of the Christian life. It calls us to rest in Jesus and prepare our souls for whatever task is ahead of us. How can we honor the divine image by practicing solitude? Here are a few ways.
Simple Ways to Practice Solitude
Prayer and Bible study: Get back to these core disciplines of listening and speaking to God through his Word. These are your baseline practices when beginning your journey toward better times of solitude.
Silent nature walks: Leave your phone behind and simply walk. Pay attention to what you see, hear, and feel. Let creation draw your heart to the Creator.
Creative expression: Activities like painting, knitting, journaling, or playing an instrument can become acts of worship when they flow from a place of openness to God.
Reading for enjoyment: As a way to rest and reflect, choose books that stir your soul or spark wonder, not just books that give you information or build your knowledge.
Practicing stillness: This can be the hardest but also the most powerful. Sit in silence, do nothing, and simply be with God. Let your soul rest in his presence.
Practice Solitude by Starting Small
Whenever we talk about spiritual disciplines, we’re prone to our eyes being bigger than our stomachs. “I’m gonna fast for a whole week—I’ll be a religious beast afterwards!” “I’m gonna make Saturday my Sabbath—I’m not gonna check emails, I’m gonna turn my phone off, I’m not gonna do any work. I’m just gonna use this time to grow in my faith.” These things become like New Year’s resolutions. You start doing it, and then after a few weeks, you lose steam and implode. Then you become very self-critical. “Am I a good Christian? I can’t even fast a whole day, and I can’t even go five minutes without my phone. Help me Jesus!”
The way to get these practices and habits into your life is to start small. Anyone who runs or works out on a consistent basis understands this principle. When you start running, you have to start very small. Sometimes as small as just a quarter mile before stopping. But over time, with consistency, you begin to build up your endurance. Quarter miles become half miles. Half miles become full miles. Full miles become 5ks over time, and before you know it, you’re running twenty to thirty miles a week. How do you get there? You start very, very small and build up to it.
This same principle applies to the practice of solitude. Folks sometimes have the impression they need to spend a long time in solitude from the beginning. But for many of us, making just small changes at the beginning will reap a lifetime of benefits.
Practice Solitude Consistently for Growth
When I first started exploring solitude, I began by spending about five minutes by myself without any devices or books around me. At first, I’ll be honest, I didn’t “feel” much. But as I began to build it up, five minutes turned into ten minutes with God, and ten minutes turned into twenty minutes with God, and before I knew it, my time of solitude had become an hour most days. As you develop your solitude muscles, you’ll begin to find that the longer you stay away from the chatter of the world, the more clear and uncluttered your thoughts will become. The rhythms of the world will begin to lessen their grip on you, and you will become more fully “presenced” by God.
Practice Solitude and Stay Present With God
But I also need to be honest: You’re going to fail in your effort to integrate more solitude into your life. It’s inevitable. Solitude is a journey, not a destination. It’s something I return to again and again—not because I’ve mastered it, but because I need it.
So if your efforts feel inconsistent, don’t give up. Keep looking for those pockets of peace, however small. God is not waiting for you to get it perfect—he’s simply waiting for you to be present.
Adapted from Good News About Self Care: How Nurturing Your Soul, Your Self, and Your Sanity Honors God by Benjamin Espinoza, releasing in April 2026.
About the Author
Benjamin Espinoza is a pastor, professor, speaker, and author who helps Christians cultivate spiritual health, emotional well-being, and sustainable rhythms of life. His work focuses on the intersection of faith, leadership, discipleship, and soul care.
