Shhh... Can you hear the silence?

Scripture says to be still... We all want it.  We all need it. We all almost never experience it.

Stillness and silence allow for the presence of God and reorientation of life.  Does the volume of your life allow for the presence of God?

Greatest Obstacles to Silence and Stillness…

Here is what I've found to be true... the greatest ostacles in my life to being still and experiencing silence are my... Fears, Addictions (Tech, Social Web, Entertainment Choices), Pursuits, Work Task List, Home Task List, Over-Commitments, Lack of Boundaries and Margins.

It's almost as if we are addicted to noise and frenetic activity itself.  It doesn't have to be this way. We  actually have the power and ability to adjust the volume.

Why be Silent and Still...

• To Hear From God… Psalm 40:6 – ““Ears you have dug for me.” He literally dug holes in our head through which His Word can pass to the heart and mind.
• To Talk to God… Jesus himself was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1), “went out to a desolate place” (Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42), and “went up on the mountain by himself to pray . . . alone” (Matthew 14:23).
• To Worship God…Psalm 46:10 (ESV) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
• To Wait/Trust/Hope Upon God… Exodus 14:14 (ESV) "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Psalm 62:1 (ESV) "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation or My hope is in Him."
• To be Changed by God and To Reorient Our Spirit and Compass…   Job 38… God says "Enough Talking!" ... Who are you, where were you, who do you think you are? Job’s response in Job 40:4, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I LAY MY HAND ON MY MOUTH.”

R Kent Hughes writes that being still and silent before God is like “time exposure to God. Our souls function like photographic plates the more we expose our lives to the white-hot sun of his righteous life, the more His image will be burned into our character. His love, his compassion, his truth, his integrity, his humility…”

Practically speaking, what can we do to turn down the volume of life?

• Prepare – Take time to make a plan.
• Place – Find a good place where you are alone and can be quiet.  It may or may not be at home.
• Time – Find a good time that works with no distractions (kids, media, tasks, phones).  Consider a daily retreat, monthly retreat, and an annual retreat. 
• Say no - There are some "good" things that we may need to say no to in order to carve out time that doesn't currently exist.

For Him,
Rob