Most of us are bombarded each day with all kinds of noise. If you're like me, you might have the radio or TV on as background noise. Perhaps you listen to music when you exercise; maybe you use Pandora to stream music when you're on your computer.
Although we live in a culture of information and noise, it's important to learn to stop and listen.
Some of us do this through regular quiet times we have built in to our days. That may include a routine for making coffee, sitting in our favorite spot, and opening our Bible. Many of us have a journal or a prayer list with which we make our requests known to God. Our quiet time may also include a devotional or Bible study we are working through.
If you notice, most of these are activities, things we actively do. I would suggest that most of the work done in our lives is not what we do, but what God does. To be more focused on what God does, start by cultivating time with God in silence—in listening. For many of us, quietness may be so foreign that five minutes of silence may seem like hours.
I confess this is not natural for me. I am a doer. That means for me quietness, silence, listening for God is something I have to practice. In some traditions, spiritual retreats are carried out in silence. Other people may use a spiritual director or mentor. For some of us, listening to God may just start by turning off the radio in the car to spend time listening for God.
Wherever you start, just start. God has much to share with us if we choose to silence ourselves and listen. Let's journey together.
