Saturday, January 14, 2012

Silence Is So Powerful

“Be still, and know that I am God;” (NIV)

“Be silent, and know that I am God!” (NLT)

-- Psalm 46:10

Silence is such a rare commodity these days. It seems that there’s always a horn blaring, a television going or a cell phone ringing. The other day an entire orchestra stopped its performance because of a ringing cell phone. What is this world coming to?

Sometimes I am a very unpopular person. The reason? I am not always available. I, gulp, turn my cell phone off. Of course, I’ve also learned to turn the television off but nobody seems to care about that. All that matters is that I’m available to them at all times.

When did we become a world where we must always be connected, always be available, always be filling our moments with chatter and movement? What are we hiding from? Are we so afraid of who we are that we can’t stand to be alone with ourselves?

And what about God? How can we ever hear His voice when we’ve got so much stuff going on in our minds and all around us. I see people texting during church and I just can’t believe it. Turn it off! Participate in worship. Let yourself soak in the moment without distractions.

A few years ago I heard a woman say that she simply didn’t have time to read and study the Bible. I understood why. She could tell you every detail of the “in” television shows. It’s not that she didn’t have time. It’s that she chose mindless matter over a deeper relationship with her Holy Father.

Don’t get me wrong. I love mindless television. And I try to always be reachable in emergencies. But that doesn’t mean I’m available all the time just because someone thought to call at that moment.

A friend recently lamented the rudeness so prevalent these days. It’s frustrating and irritating to go out to dinner with a friend, only to have that friend spend half the time talking on the cell phone to someone else. It’s awful to see how rude people are to cashiers. They barely acknowledge the cashier because they are too focused on themselves and their cell phone conversations.

Is it any wonder that we are a stressed out bunch of folks? We forgot what was important. We forgot how powerful silence can be. Or maybe we grew afraid of the silence.

Be still, God tells us. Know that He is God. Exalt Him and praise Him. Fill your mind with His goodness and mercy. Let His peace wash over you. In the silence, hear His voice calling you near. Be still. And know.