As always, check out the full list of bloggers who are blogging the Spiritual Disciplines at Joe Kennedy’s blog, Words are not Enough, Live From New Orleans.
Silence. I have an amazing dynamic tension between silence and noise.
I can’t concentrate with noise. I do so much better when I have silence. Even soft music is a supreme distraction to me. Voices in the hall, noises in neighboring offices, anything, everything prevent me from experiencing focus unless I remove myself from all of it.
On the other hand, when I am still, I struggle to remain still and focus my mind. Of all the disciplines, to me, this takes the most “self discipline.” Especially in our very cluttered culture that desires our attention at every turn.
You see, our culture wants our time, our energy and our money. The first step to getting these things is to get our attention.
So I am used to having things pull my attention back and forth from one subject to another in rapid fire succession. When no one is pulling, I habitually let my mind flit from thought to thought out of habit.
So, silence is hard.
But out of silence is born the innate sense that God is directing you. Why do we wonder what God’s will for us is all of the time? Because we aren’t able to hear Him speak to us. Why not? Is He no longer speaking? No. God is a God of revelation. He desires that we know Him and His direction.
Some would say that He has left us His Word, and that is enough. I know many who know the Word very well, but show no evidence that God is directing the decisions of their lives. Knowing the Word is the first step in allowing God to direct us. He speaks through His Word. He will never violate the direction of his Word. Nevertheless, answers to the questions about which job offer to take are often not addressed specifically in His Word.
I had a Youth Minister who used to tell us that God didn’t care what we did in those kinds of situations, so long as we didn’t violate His principles. Sounds good, but that is a move toward Open Theism and a small God, not a Sovereign Lord of all things, which is how I read Him described in His Word.
Anyway, all of that is simply to say that I think God whispers to us phenomenal things. Things about Who He is and where we should be in life and to whom He would like us to speak about Christ today. I don’t think you have to be still and silent to hear that, either.
I do think that you have to be still and silent to learn to recognize His voice over the cacophony of other things wanting your attention. I can recognize my wife’s voice across a crowded and noisy room. I’ve spent time with her. Her voice is precious to me. On the other hand, I may not recognize a friend’s voice in the same room. They may be close, and even dear to me, but they haven’t spent the TIME in conversation with me that my wife has. Moreover, I don’t listen to them the way I listen to my wife. She gets more of my attention than anyone else on the planet. The question is not whether or not God is speaking or even if He is saying deep and meaningful things to us. The question is whether or not we treat Him like a friend or our true love. Do we listen to Him? Do we allow Him to speak and us to listen?
Did you ever know anyone who, it seemed, God whispered in their ear? They were always just a little closer than the rest of us beloved children? They seemed to have more joy and peace in hard times and wisdom in the crucial moment?
Everyone I have ever known that fit that description has been someone who habitually got alone with God, away from everything that could distract, and got…
…
silent.
By the way. Hearing a “special word from God” is not the reason to be silent. He may do that. The main thing, though, is to remove clutter from your mind and focus on Him, which is of so many benefits in every area of our walk with Him.
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Joseph M. Smith
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 6:40 am:
The discipline of silence in some Catholic monasteries bears witness to the value of what you are speaking about. I recall, years ago, reading Thomas Merton, how powerful he felt the silence of the Trappist monastery to be. I have a pastor friend who takes a retreat every year at Gethsemani in Kentucky, so that she can experience that silence and hear God’s voice, free from the distractions of parish life. For her, as for me, those distractions are not so much the ringing phone or the chatter of the TV as they are the voices in the head that keep on saying, “You need to do .. do .. do”
Bowden McElroy
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 10:13 am:
Art,
Is “hearing from God” another way to describe the gift of discernment? And if so, isn’t more than silence required?
Art Rogers
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 2:56 pm:
JMS,
“those distractions are not so much the ringing phone or the chatter of the TV as they are the voices in the head that keep on saying, ‘You need to do .. do .. do’”
Excellent insight.
Bowden,
I would not equate the spiritual gift of discernment with “hearing from God.” They are closely related, but not specifically the same thing, I think. Discernment reaches far beyond a decision to do this or not do that, into being able to perceive motives for example. Also, I have known some to be very discerning, but not very sensitive to the movement of God in a particular moment. Again, closely related, but not simply the same thing.
An example of the difference would be that Discernment would help you understand why someone in your congregation is arguing for a particular thing in business meeting, and you are able to address the real need, satisfy those involved and help broker peace and unity in the congregation. Hearing God speak might be that you sit down to eat in a cafeteria and suddenly sense that there was someone in another room that God wants you to approach. You can’t discern something that you don’t perceive in the first place. No, the latter situation doesn’t happen often, but I think that is more likely because we have so few among us who have uncluttered lives; who have spent time learning to recognize the voice of God when He speaks.
Nevertheless, for discernment and for the ability to sense God moving, silence is extremely valuable, but no, not the only thing needed. I also think you need a willfully obedient heart, for instance, to hear God clearly and well.
marie
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 4:30 pm:
I not only have to have silence to focus, but need to be in a somewhat enclosed area in order to feel “alone” with God. Is this silly? Also, I seem to be unable to have a quiet time unless I am home by myself. It seems that my husband always needs something from the side of the house I’m on, or my Mother (who lives down stairs) will come to see me…Yikes! Then I get angry because my quiet time is interrupted! Am I a sorry excuse for a Christian, or what!!!! :)
Silence truly is valuable and I miss so many opportunities to tune into God by being about the things that are not really important.
Thank you for the reminder that to “know” God, we must be with God in the silence so that we will come to know Him intimately.
Art Rogers
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 6:03 pm:
I don’t think it is the sign of a weak Christian to want to protect your time alone with God.
The Bible speaks of God being jealous of our love for Him. I’m sure that us being somewhat jealous for our time with Him is allowed, though bad behavior may not be. :)
marie
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 6:15 pm:
Thank you for the gentle rebuke. :)
Self-discipline, unfortunately, is not something I’ve excelled at which is probably why I get interrupted so much. One day Peace will rule, so help me God! :-D
Art Rogers
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 6:22 pm:
I just threw the “bad behavior” comment in off the cuff. I didn’t mean to hit a nerve.
Sorry? :)
marie
on Sep 4th, 2007
@ 7:36 pm:
Oh no! You didn’t hit a nerve! I needed to see that getting angry at being interrupted is FLESH. I truly meant thank you! (I wish I could underline the thank you!)
Blessings on your evening! :)
Tim Rogers
on Sep 5th, 2007
@ 4:57 am:
Brother Art,
Can you believe that you have now gotten 9 comments for a post on “Silence” as a self-discipline? :>)
Great thoughts.
Blessings,
Tim
Bob Cleveland
on Sep 5th, 2007
@ 10:14 am:
One of the most life-changing times of my life was the first time I worshipped at Red Hills Baptist Church in Jamaica. In the middle of the wall behind the pulpit hangs a little sign, welded up by my friend Merrick Bethune, that says “Be Still And Know That I Am God”. Nobody who has ever seen that can forget it, and its message is what kick-started that in my life.
Good post.