Soul Care Part 3: SilenceSample

Does it ever seem like all the noise in your life keeps you feeling constantly distracted? Like there are a hundred little things to do or check or remember every day, and the undercurrent of stress or angst in your life is so normal that you barely remember what it’s like to live without it? Between your phone and your to-do list and your relationships and your own thoughts, the hamster wheel just never stops spinning.

Don’t worry - you’re not alone. But you’re also not doomed to continue living this way. That’s where the spiritual discipline of silence comes in. Spiritual silence is more than just being quiet. Silence is practicing “being present” with God. No agenda, no plan. It’s giving Him our undivided attention and just listening. It requires that we sit in external silence in order to reach internal silence. Spiritual silence is clearing space in our noisy minds for God to fill with His voice. And it looks a little different for everyone, so take your time exploring what it looks like for you.

It’s rare for most Christians to hear an audible “voice from the sky” when they listen to God. But many seasoned Christians will say that they have learned to sense God’s promptings when they approach Him in spiritual silence. Sometimes it uncovers a subtle sin that has taken root in their hearts. Sometimes it leaves them with a funny feeling that they need to text a friend. It can take on so many forms.

For many people, silence is the hardest spiritual discipline to practice, and it’s pretty radical for a society that always has a distraction to offer. But the payout is huge. Give it a try for a month, and you’ll see. Here’s a hint: if you’re not practiced at this, it will take more than a few minutes of external silence to arrive at internal silence. It could easily take 20 minutes, plus the additional time of actually sitting in that peaceful silence. But as you’ll see through the rest of this plan, it’s a crucial practice for all followers of Jesus, and it’s often the very thing that brings us the joy and healing that our souls crave.

Ask Yourself:

-Can you recall a time when you have discerned the voice of the Good Shepherd?

-Do you believe that God will speak to you in silence?

Take a Next Step:

Set aside uninterrupted time to sit in silence with God today. If possible, do it outside or near a window. Visualize yourself clearing out the clutter in your mind, and whenever you get distracted, repeat “Here I am, Lord.”