Seeking Silence

Do you ever fall asleep on your couch or in your recliner and wake up in the middle of the night, or the early hours of the morning?  For me, it is a regular occurrence.  When this happens to me, upon randomly waking, it is always perfectly silent.  There is no noise, all is still, and it is as if the world is on pause.  It is in these moments that I realize our great need for this kind of silence.  In our world that is loud, busy, and full of distractions, it seems impossible to cultivate this level of stillness and quiet at any point through our days.  However, it must become a priority, especially if we want to hear God more clearly.

While our world craves silence, they are also afraid of it.  To many people, silence can feel empty, pointless, and unproductive.  But silence is a powerful and life-giving place, where God comes into our minds and hearts.  It is in silence that we are able to become more aware of God’s presence.  It is in the silence that we can truly enter into prayer.

In the stillness and silence, we allow ourselves to listen, wait, and be receptive.  When we take time to rest in it, we are allowing ourselves to receive God’s deep love for us and the immense peace that He provides.  There is a lot of power in just being, rather than doing.

It is so easy for us to fill any potential moments of silence with noise and distraction.  Often times, this may be because it is uncomfortable and we find the silence too overwhelming.  We turn on the TV, open up social media, or find things to do that help us avoid the stillness.  When we encounter opportunities for silence, we must work to fully embrace them.  This is definitely not easy.  It requires commitment and determination.  It is something we need to practice continually throughout our lives.
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When we take time for quiet, we are filling a deep void in our lives- the void that we so often try to fill with everything else in the world.  In order to truly satisfy our deepest longing, we must fill ourselves with God.  This is done best in the quiet and still moments of our days.  This week, as you go throughout your days, challenge yourself to intentionally seek out silence.  Whether it is when you wake up, on your lunch break, or right when you get home from work, start with five minutes.  It will have a profound impact on your relationship with God.