There is an African Proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is a testament to power of teamwork, cooperation and how the body of Christ is supposed to function with all its members working together to produce extraordinary results that could not be achieved if all the members were working separately. There is strength and protection in numbers, which is why there are so many scriptures about working together, bearing with one another, and sharpening one another.
Community is so good and being as extroverted as I have been for most of my life I really thrive in groups. I will rarely want to go the the gym on my own, but you’d better believe I will go with a friend or to a class! I can feel exposed or vulnerable if I come into a new place or situation on my own, and usually all it takes is just one other person who knows me that I can draw on for conversation if no one else in the room is especially welcoming. Group projects are my favorite (as long as I don’t get stuck doing all the work!) and all it takes is someone else producing a great idea for me to begin to dream about how to make it happen. Needless to say, I have enjoyed the protection and benefits of the herd for most of my life.
But over the last year I have been learning that God has reasons for pulling people out of the herd. I have had plenty of alone moments that have been very uncomfortable for me. At first, I just begged God to let me have my people back, but over time as I’ve gotten to have one-on-one time with Him (because who else can you talk to when you’re by yourself??) I have learned the value of silence and solitude, and that His ways will produce a fruitful end for myself and for others that I may not have sought out on my own. Here are a few reasons why God calls people out.
First, there are moments when your calling or purpose is going to require you to move faster, deeper and farther than you would be able to move within the herd. Like Jesus, when He was sent by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, God was needing to prepare Him for the ministry He would have and to help Jesus establish His identity as the Son of God so that when it was time to face the cross He had the strength to do so. He had to go deep with the Father, and he had to do it without distraction. Jesus wasn’t always going to be on His own, but in the moments it really counted he could not afford to rely on his carnal, human friends to bear some of the weight. Jesus had to learn to stand on His own two feet with help only from the Father. After all, He was being called to do something only He could do and He had to do it by Himself.
Second, we have to learn to stand out from the crowd and be willing to do it despite the discomfort of being both hated and adored. Those who shine brightest in their abilities stick out like a sore thumb to those who are insecure of their own light. Jesus did many miraculous things wherever He went, and while He attracted plenty of good attention from the crowds, there were just as many naysayers that were jealous and resented His power and authority. Even those in His own hometown wanted Jesus to be just like them, and when He dared to be different they dismissed Him. God is calling his people to be a city on a hill, and a light that cannot be hidden. We can be so often persuaded to go with the flow of others, and lose our light and our voice in the process. Sometimes God chooses to remove the distractions and the temptation to bow to the approval/disapproval of others to help us find out who He says we are. We’ve got to learn to shine brightly without the fear of losing friends in the process or to rest on the laurels of human praise.
Lastly, sometimes God sends scouts into the deep on their own so that they may return to the herd with the wisdom and experience to help everyone navigate their way through the coming journey. Yes, God sends those who He has perceived can handle a little rough waters on their own, and uses the storms to temper them so that they are more prepared to lead the group through. After all, you can only lead people effectively as far as you’ve gone, and so God will definitely call people to pave the way for the benefit of everyone.
I pray that if God calls you into a season of leaving the crowds, that you would lean into His Spirit and wade through challenging moments with grace as you find out how He is using you to bring glory to His Kingdom and to His people. And of course, that you would remember that you are never truly alone, that He is with you in every moment, every day, without fail. Allow God to take you far, so that you may come back to your people strengthened and effective.