Got Quiet?

This post is dedicated to the blog reader who--in response to my suggesting a book yesterday for those of you who thought we might be moving too slowly—-asked if there was a book for those who think we are moving too fast. The challenge for March will not take any extra time out of your schedule. You can definitely accomplish this one.

The challenge this month is to turn off the extra noise in your life. One of the reasons we have such a hard time hearing God’s “still, small voice” is that we are in the habit of drowning it out. It’s also one of the reasons we don’t find our thoughts turning more often to God during the day and we offer so few spontaneous prayers. We are distracted by the noise all around us.

I know you can’t turn off your kids, your boss or your spouse, but there is probably a lot of other noise you can eliminate. Do you listen to the radio while commuting? OK, just listen to the traffic report and then shut it off. Do you have news shows constantly humming in the background while you cook dinner and clean the kitchen? Feel naked if you leave the house without your iPod? And how much are you talking on the cell phone just to keep yourself entertained? Try to carve out some quiet during your day. God will use this time to renew your mind.

Now, there is one catch. Often we have turned on all this distracting noise for the very reason that we want to be distracted. We are uncomfortable with our own thoughts or we have a tendency to worry or feel afraid if not forced to think about something else. I noticed that when I stopped listening to the radio while commuting I began to worry about work more. This becomes the perfect opportunity to take God at His word and pray about the anxious thoughts that begin to crowd into your mind. That takes some self-discipline but the end result is more peace.

Try it for March. What’s the worst that could happen? You can always turn the noise back on in April. (And don’t forget to keep up with the habits you developed in January and February—-praying 3 times a day and reading the New Testament for 7-8 minutes a day.)