Do you have any of the COVID-19 symptoms? A cough, a fever or shortness of breath? Are you being told that you need to self isolate? Perhaps you’re feeling fine and you’re happy just to continue life as usual. But it may be a good time to reconsider! I think there’s something our Messiah can teach us about this.

In Mark 6:31, Yeshua said to His disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.” Yet, it’s His actions that should speak even louder to us and to the modern lifestyle we are living today. Consider what we read in the following Scriptures.

“And [Yeshua] withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

Luke 5:16

“And when [Yeshua] had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.”

Matthew 14:23

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, [Yeshua] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Mark 1:35

You see, Yeshua had a life pattern of self isolation – and it’s a pattern that you and I would be wise to take note of! In fact, if we are truly striving to walk in His footsteps as we have promised to do, then self isolation should be a part of our lives also.

Be careful though, because the self isolation we see in Yeshua’s life had a clear purpose to it. He wasn’t isolating because of a virus or because of a government order. He wasn’t isolating to become “one with nature” or for any form of self gratification. He isolated Himself for the express purpose of prayer and spending time in His Father’s presence. By isolating, the distractions of the world and all the pressures of the people around Him were put to one side, and He could concentrate on the things that mattered most.

Don’t we need exactly the same in our lives today? In fact, aren’t we even more in need of a refocus on the Father’s will in our lives than Yeshua ever was? Of course we are! In the world we are living in right now we are hearing about the need for some, and possibly for a growing number of people, to self isolate to keep them from spreading a virus. What a great chance to consider the deeper spiritual matters of life! Sadly though, this is the last thing on people’s minds. Instead, everyone needs something to keep their minds occupied. Having “nothing to do” and “boredom” are seen as the enemy. When people had to recently self isolate on the cruise ship where Coronavirus began its spread, they spoke of worry and bordeom as the worst aspects. One of the measures to combat this was the sinister offer of free pornography to everyone on board! What a terrible example of our modern world’s values!

Let’s not point our fingers at everyone else though. How much importance do we place on spending time alone with our Father? If we have a few spare minutes alone, do we focus on spiritual matters or do we automatically grab our phone to keep ourselves entertained or occupied? In all honesty, is our desire truly for the One who cares for us and loves us more than we could imagine? Or are we, in essence, no different to the world around us? If we’re not – then let’s make a decision to change! Let’s allow God’s Spirit to work in our hearts to bring our desires into harmony with His desires. There’s perhaps no better way to do this than in self isolation.

Whether our governments order us to self isolate or not, how about we take our Messiah’s example to heart – and do it anyway!