Training Ground

Spiritual Exercise: Solitude (wk. 9/13)

Reading: Judges 6:1-16

Every athlete has a beginning. The first time they walk into a gym, they might feel overwhelmed, underprepared, or out of place. Their body isn’t conditioned yet. Their mind is full of doubt. But somewhere along the way, a shift happens. The training starts to take root. Their identity begins to change. They stop seeing themselves as just a person who works out and start seeing themselves as an athlete. It doesn’t happen in a flash of hype or noise. It happens in the quiet – in the consistent grind of showing up, doing the work, and pushing through the discomfort. Growth always begins in solitude.

In Judges 6, Gideon is introduced as a man threshing wheat in a winepress, hiding from his enemies. No crowds. No stage. Just a man tucked away in solitude, full of fear and insecurity. And then God shows up. “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Those words must have sounded ridiculous to Gideon. He didn’t feel like a warrior. He didn’t see himself as strong. But God wasn’t speaking to who Gideon thought he was – God was speaking to who He created Gideon to become.

Solitude is where we confront that same question: Who does God say you are?

We spend so much time moving through life at high speed, surrounded by noise and distraction. It’s like trying to train for a marathon in a crowded hallway. There’s no space to breathe, much less grow. But solitude – stepping away, unplugging, and getting alone with God – is where spiritual stamina begins. It’s where He speaks to your identity. It’s where He begins to rewire how you see yourself.

In fitness, transformation begins when an athlete starts believing they are more than their limitations. That belief isn’t born on the competition floor. It’s shaped in the quiet reps no one sees, the early mornings, the uncomfortable drills. In the same way, solitude with God is the spiritual gym where you learn to endure, to trust, to listen, and to grow. It’s not always flashy, but it’s where strength is built.

God told Gideon, “Go in the strength you have.” That’s all God ever asks. Bring Him what you’ve got – fear, doubt, weakness, all of it. And in that quiet space, He meets you. He speaks identity over you. Not the version of you shaped by your past or your performance, but the version shaped by His calling. He builds your spiritual endurance by revealing who you are in Him – a warrior, a son or daughter, a spiritual athlete in the making.

So step into solitude. Not as an escape, but as a training ground. Shut the door, turn off the noise, and get alone with God. Ask Him, Who do You say I am? Then listen. Let that truth take root. Let it become your fuel for the work ahead. Solitude is not the place where you lose momentum – it’s where you find your mission. So go in the strength you have. Because the strength you need is already in you.

Questions for Reflection:

Who does God say you are? Where do you struggle to receive that identity?

How can you regularly build solitude into your spiritual training program?