Lord, quiet the noise.
I find myself repeating this prayer over and over and over. There is so much noise coming into our lives. I don't just mean the physical noise. I mean all the stuff that muddies our minds and leaves us feeling confused, frustrated, and clouded. Opinions, rants, well-meaning inspiration, you name it. You know what I'm talking about. If you're on social media for more than 5 seconds, you know what the heck I'm talking about. Social media is not solely to blame. We just happen to be living in a time when we have more inputs than ever before. News, TV shows, movies, podcasts, books, you name it. Do you ever just feel tired of the immense amount your mind and body is trying to absorb in a single day? I do. I've reached a point where it is just too much.
I've been reading a book over the last year or so, because... let's be honest, reading as a mother with littles just doesn't happen very often. The book is called Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer, and it is incredible. I feel like I've always struggled with being able to hear God speak to me. I would listen to people say things like, "God spoke to me the other day..." and it caused me to feels like I was left out of something really special. To hear God clearly speak to me was just not something I had experienced before. This book started to open my eyes as to why that might be.
In the book, Priscilla shares a story about a lunch date she has with a friend in which she ranted about a situation in her life for nearly an hour and a half. Her friend offered the occasional "mmhmm..." when she got an opportunity, but Priscilla continued on rambling. Before she knew it, the dishes were being cleared and the check had arrived. Noticing her friend looking a little uneasy she said, "Well, what do you think I should I do?"
Her friend said very kindly, and gently to her, "Priscilla, I did have some things to say to you, but you never stopped talking long enough to listen."
A bit taken aback and disappointed, she drove home reflecting on what her friend said. The Lord convicted her through this moment, however, leaving her wondering, "Hadn't I been approaching Him the same way? Talking, talking, talking -- praying (feels better calling it that). But mostly just talking, repeating myself, analyzing, rationalizing, Like Jada [her friend from lunch], God was reminding me, 'I do have some things to say to you, Priscilla, but you never stop talking long enough to listen.'"
Yes. I realized in this moment that I talk, talk, talk, and rarely, if ever, give God the opportunity to talk back. I was having a one-way conversation. We fill our lives with so many different things, causing so much noise, that we no longer have the time or capacity to hear God speak.
She goes on to say, "If I wanted to hear, I had to listen. Creating time, space, and opportunity to hear God is paramount for those of us who desire to sense His Spirit's conviction, to receive His detailed guidance, and to discern His intimate leading." (pg. 18)
Sometimes I wonder why it has taken me so long to recognize this. If I'm being completely honest, I don't know that I have ever been fully ready for what God has to say to me. It scares me a little bit. I love my comfort zone. Me and my comfort zone are bffs. I struggle when things disrupt that. I believe I have been fearful that if I quiet the noise long enough to hear God direct me or convict me, I will be pushed in a direction that might cause me to feel a bit uncomfortable. Because, yes - that's what He does. That's how He grows us and grows His kingdom. Stuff doesn't happen when we remain comfortable.
Far too often, we do not allow ourselves the space to listen. We are focused on our own thoughts, opinions, and agendas to even take a moment to shut down the noise. 2020 and moving into 2021 has overwhelmed me as I'm sure it has many others. It seems to be that whenever anything comes to someone's mind, they feel it necessary to share with the world, and pretty soon, we find ourselves surrounded by the noise of things beyond our control. Unless we are willing to do the intentional work of stepping away, we will continue to be deafened by this noise and overwhelmed with the amount of inputs we receive throughout our day. We will continue to not be able to process our own thoughts, dreams, and ideas because they will be so deeply buried below everyone else's. But most importantly, we will continue to not be able to hear God. We will not be able to hear His calling for us, His comfort, His wisdom, His encouragement. We will continue to live by worldly standards until we allow ourselves to step away.
Let me just be clear about one thing. I am deeply and completely working myself through this, too. Most people will read this and move on without a second thought about quieting the noise in their life, but I am processing this big time as a write this post. I need this in my life. I need to quiet whatever is preventing me from hearing the Lord speak to me.
Here are seven steps I am practicing and have found to be helpful throughout this process.
1. Step away from Social Media, or if you can't/don't want to completely, give yourself a time limit. My sister is a pretty well known blogger, YouTuber, Podcaster, etc. (she's like... super cool) and when that is all that you do, it can get completely overwhelming and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. She set a timer on her phone to only allow herself 15 minutes on social media a day. Maybe you need or want more time, that's okay. What I believe is necessary here is eliminating or limiting the unnecessary inputs that weigh us down. It doesn't take more than 30 seconds on social media these days to encounter that.
"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." -Pslam 119:37
2. Prioritize what you let in - even if it is good! I love listening to podcasts, reading books, listening to sermons, and reading through the plans The Bible App offers. All good things. But I found myself overwhelmed with the amount of new techniques, practices, rhythms, etc. I wanted to begin to implement in our home. While all of these are amazing, and yes, should become a part of our home at some point, we can often be so focused on our own agenda and ideas that we do not leave room for God to direct us on what He knows our home needs. So, I'm practicing taking it slow and filtering a bit what I listen to and read. I'm allowing myself more time to process it and pray about it in order to hear God's thoughts.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lead not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
3. Be okay sitting in silence. Whether it's getting ready in the morning, eating a meal, or driving in the car... allow yourself to do it in silence. If we never give ourselves these moments, they simply won't happen. This is one I really struggle with and am trying to practice throughout my day. I know that this inhibits my ability to hear God.
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." Exodus 14:14
4. Put your phone or computer away or out of reach. Because of the day and age we live in, everything is so dang accessible and we often travel wherever we go, even room to room, with our phone in tow, making it readily available whenever we want it. Subconsciously, we grab it whenever we have a lapse in thought, and often get distracted. Uh, guilty! I have been practicing leaving my phone on the entry table to eliminate this, but it's hard! If we need a break from the noise, though, we have to begin to minimize the source by making it less accessible.
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." -Colossians 3:2
5. Get outside. There is something to be said for stepping out into God's world. Go for a hike, take a walk, or simply step outside and breathe in new, clean air. I know that if I'm in my house too long, the walls feel like they're caving in on me and I feel a bit suffocated. Offer yourself the opportunity to take a break from all that's happening in our world, town, or even just your home by getting outside for a moment and relish in God's creation.
"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land." -Psalm 95:3-5
6. Prioritize quiet time. This one is much easier in certain seasons of life. Our house, for instances, with a 6, 5, and 4-year-old is only quiet for a brief moment in the morning, so Ty and I wake up at 4AM (I know... yikes! And not everyone's cup of tea) to have our quiet time. If we don't do this, however, we simply wouldn't get it. And I try very hard to carve out a bit of time throughout the day, but my kids are far past naps and just want to play, play, and play some more. Even if it's 10 minutes throughout your day, find a pocket of time where you can just sit, free of the noise and chaos that normally surrounds you.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7
7. Find an unbiased news source (are those even a thing???) or step away from the news channels and pages for a bit. I believe it is extremely important to be educated on what's going on, but take it for that and move on. The news is not what needs to be playing in the background as you're getting ready in the morning, eating lunch, or cooking dinner. Understand what's going on... and then shut it off.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" -Matthew 6: 22-23
Guys, we have to be aware of what we're letting in. With the immense amount being thrown at us, it should be no surprise that anxiety and depression are on the rise. Because suddenly, our minds are racing with doing all the things we see others doing, buying things that others tell us we "need", we compare our lives to others, we feel frustrated when people disagree with us, we feel anger, we feel confusion, we feel unease, but most of all, we miss what God is saying to us. When something doesn't sit right, take it to the Lord. And then sit and be quiet, preparing yourself to listen.
"In the regular rhythms of life, it means being willing to wait and watch, to sense where God is moving before I hurry to make a decision. It means not having all the answer I'd like to have but not becoming frazzled by that, staying quiet and patient as He gives me what I do need to know, understanding this 'empty space' -- this listening posture that makes me so jumpy and uncomfortable -- is exactly the void he can fill with His divine wisdom and direction. It means being attentive to the undercurrent of His ongoing activity beneath the surface of my everyday happenings.
The lesson was becoming more and more clear: creating and allowing margin to hear God is fundamental to discerning His voice. Because in that space, we seek Him, lean into Him, and acknowledge Him in a way we might not otherwise be able to." -Priscilla Shirer Discerning The Voice of God
Here is the thing, the world isn't going to slow down. People are not going to stop sharing their opinions on everything over social media, the news is still going to be bogged down with opinionated negativity. If you don't allow yourself the opportunity to slow down, step back, and reduce the noise and inputs in your life, you are going to continue to feel the weight of that. We are not meant to carry that. Together, let's give ourselves the space to allow God to do His good work and lead us on the path He wishes us to go.
Post a Comment