Sit Still and Be Quiet

I was a fidgety kid. I didn’t like to sit still and it was a “challenge” for me to be quiet. I was always moving, twirling and dancing; singing and laughing. Once, when I was five years old, during a long bus ride home, I belted out the chorus of “Shortnin Bread” over and over again. Everyone loved my song so much, they cheered and applauded when my mother and I got off the bus. Truly, they were relieved to finally be rid of the noise. LOL

Anyway, I’m not that fidgety kid anymore. I’ve grown up and have learned to sit still, but I haven’t quite mastered being quiet. I like to surround myself with noise. Let me explain.

Imagine driving in the car without having the radio on, or being at home without the TV on in the background. Imagine it being completely silent for hours. Do hours of silence sound appealing to you?

If you’re thinking, “Heck no! That sounds terrible and lonely”, I’m in complete agreement with you. The background noise can be comforting right? Well….not quite. In some cases, it may be wrong. Let me explain.

When we use noise to drown out our thoughts and emotions, or the whispering of the Holy Spirit or to avoid self-examination, we don’t have comfort, we have a problem. By avoiding the spiritual discipline of silence, we’re missing out on one the most important and effective ways to grow.

Mother Theresa said “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

I see the wisdom in her words, and I have experienced the benefit of practicing silence. In fact, it was in the silent moments after my prayers when I heard from the Holy Spirit. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still, and know that that I am God;” God wants us sit still, be quiet and not to drown out his voice with background noise.

Do you desire spiritual growth and long to hear from the Holy Spirit? Maybe practicing the spiritual discipline of meditation, or another discipline, like fasting, prayer or worship may help get you to where you desire to be. What spiritual disciplines do you practice? Which do you feel suit you best or have helped you grow the most? Maybe you don’t know anything about spiritual disciplines, but would like to learn more, if so, I recommend a book called Celebration of Discipline, by Richard J. Foster. It’s a good read.

Best regards,

~Trish