Silence: Its Power and NecessitySample

Silence: Its Power and Necessity

Isaiah 30:15 – In returning and rest, you shall be saved; quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Silence reminds me of the value of the word. Winston Churchill performed at a school on occasion, and his speech consisted of just three sentences. He walked on stage and said, "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." It was one of the most powerful speeches ever made in history. If he had spoken for an hour and made these three sentences part of his speech, no one would have remembered them. Few words and the right words have great power.

Inner isolation and silence set us free from loneliness and fear. The third—and fourth-century desert fathers taught, "Silence brings answers to all questions. And in silence, we also find the power of God." Isaiah 30:15 says: “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isolation and silence are the paths to deeper intimacy with God, liberation from the self, a greater perspective on the meaning of life, and peace and contentment.

Isolation and silence help us to see the ways in which we are comparing ourselves to others. Unsurprisingly, comparison is the most significant factor in burnout, and burnout often stems from our desire to fight our nagging sense of insignificance. We want to be important and this leads to unhealthy comparison and competitiveness. Silence is not impressed with achievements. Silence answers all our wonderful achievements with silence and it does not respond to our importance.

You will find God in the silence. When you wait in the silence, God comes. Sometimes, you don't know how but even if he doesn't speak, you'll know he's there. Deliverance comes from being with God in silence. No agenda is necessary - we don’t need to focus on receiving orders or seeking new revelations or manifestations. We just need to be with Him.