I Just Want to be Left Alone

I Just Want to be Left Alone

You might hear the sentiment, “I just want to be left alone,” from many different people, young or old. We live in a marketing age, and there are more groups using more methods to seize upon our attention. Most of us receive unwelcome scam calls and uninvited text messages. And then, the email comes asking you to take a survey. “I just want to be left alone.”

But to be honest, the sentiment goes beyond media. A person leaves a busy day at work and just wants to be left alone, only to open the door of the house to a high level of chaos. We might find there is a full schedule of school meetings or children’s (or, adult’s) activities that have turned from being opportunities to obligations.

And then there’s the preacher. He just keeps talking about God, God, God - and a person might respond, “I just want to be left alone.” But that’s a problem. We were made for fellowship with God, and God is intent on inviting you into that relationship. He has many methods of invitation.

There is a verse in Psalm 8 that asks the penetrating question: “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” God is interested in you, and He wants what is best for you, which includes you being interested in Him. But you say, “I just want to be left alone.” That is, you would like to be autonomous. But you are not. You and I are daily dependent upon gifts from God to continue living; things such as oxygen in the air and rain for the crops and food on the table. God has to do with all those things, and without Him, they would not exist. So are we actually saying, “I just want to be left alone, except for all the necessary things”? And if we lack any of those things, guess what happens? We blame God for not doing His job.

Thank God He does not leave us alone, and thank God, He uses many methods to gain our attention. Sometimes it is a kind word or a sweet blessing. Sometimes it is a broken heart, or a broken back. Many people have found their interest in God resurrected when lying in a hospital bed or kneeling at a graveside.

Independence from God will not yield the satisfaction that you are seeking, and submission to His proper place in your life will help you find the meaning and purpose that each of us needs. Independence will produce shallowness and selfishness. Submission will relieve the pressure of orchestrating what you were never designed to do.

Let me give you one more reason, whether any of this sounds attractive to you or not. We live every day immersed in graces that God gives - from the simplest of pleasures to the most profound experiences that we can have on this earth. God, though He invites, does not coerce. And so, when you tell God, “I just want to be left alone,” well, He may just allow that, for the rest of your eternal life. But beware, He may just do what you have asked - and with His absence go all of those graces which have made your life enjoyable, or even tolerable. And then, you will probably blame Him.