What is silence? As a tech director you are probably more aware of silence, or the lack of it, than the ordinary person. We know all too well that it is difficult, if not impossible, to experience complete and total silence.
Selective listening
You don't realize how loud certain things are until you hear them in a quiet environment. For example, I went to visit my grandmother and had a great time reminiscing with the family, playing music, and having fun together. I never even noticed the clock hanging on the wall. Why would I? However, that night when I was trying to go to sleep I began to hear an incessant ticking coming from the wall. I couldn't believe that they made clocks that tick so loudly. Then I began wondering why I had not noticed it throughout the day. I thought about the conversations that were had and the songs that were sung and realized that the noise of the day had masked out the subtle sound of the clock.
As I lay there listening to the nagging tick-tock of the old clock I began to wonder what other sounds we tend to completely overlook due to the noise around us. I began to wonder if it is possible to miss hearing the voice of God because of all the louder sounds that we are continually immersed in.
Even when we pray we tend to make noise. Our prayers tend to be a one-sided monologue of requests to our ever-giving Father in Heaven. But do we ever stop to listen?
Even when we pray we tend to make noise. Our prayers tend to be a one-sided monologue of requests to our ever-giving Father in Heaven. But do we ever stop to listen?
"Be still, and know that I am God!" Psalm 46:10a
Even if we stop to listen to God, we may not be able to hear him because the noise around us is so great. The noise of background music, congested traffic, or screaming children. Maybe we need to unplug from the noise once in a while?
Clearing our field of focus
The next morning I didn't even notice the ticking clock. The reality is that I wasn't even trying to hear it, I had forgotten about it because of all of the new noise of the day.
Maybe we need to unplug from the noise once in a while?
I wonder if that's what happens with our relationship with God. We throw up some words of prayer during the noise of the day, because we know that He hears our prayer. But do we take moments of quiet to listen for His response?
I have found that being in ministry and having a family and carrying an entertainment device with me wherever I go makes it increasingly challenging to have times of quiet--times of prayer where I don't do most of the talking but, instead, I'm the one doing the listening.
God already knows our needs and prayers before we pray them, so what might be most important is not us expressing our thoughts but listening for His.
In those times I discover that there is a voice speaking that was buried beneath the noise....
For me this often comes by way of taking walks in the woods. That's the place that I can finally begin to quiet the noises inside my head. In those times I discover that there is a voice speaking that was buried beneath the noise. Much like the ticking clock that I couldn't hear until the lights were off and the voices faded.
In moments of quiet we find that God is actually speaking to us. Giving us ideas and dreams, quietly leading and guiding our lives.
As we take time for prayer this week, let us not only seek to express our continual requests to our Father, but let us find times for silence where we can hear Him speak to us.
