We live in a world where silence is almost extinct. We are no longer a society where we get our information from sitting quietly and reading. We are bombarded at every turn with noise. We now have a generation of adults who run from silence. They have heard the noise so long, that they must have some sort of noise constantly. We now have earbuds where we can have constant noise, that only we can hear. We choose not to think, but allow our minds to be controlled by what we hear. This is the opposite of what a Christian should do. The noise you chose may not be sinful, but for us to hear God clearly, we must have a time when nothing else is bidding for our attention.
We are living in a time in our world where the media is controlling our thoughts and actions. They sensationalize everything as if they were actors in a play. Unfortunately, we listen and become so emotionally attached we don’t think we can live without them. Many are so afraid they will miss something that their phones are geared to alert them to the news of the day. Listening to the world’s message so much, causes us to be desensitized to what is important. We begin to look at life through a microscope. We get bogged down with the little things that have no eternal value. They rob us of thinking of eternity, of loving others the way Jesus does, and they push us to be so focused on self, that our goals in life become self-serving.
This is the opposite of what the Bible teaches. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Shut out the noise. Get alone, and meet with Him. Take out the earbuds and listen to what His word is teaching you. Eliminate any distractions. If that means getting up earlier before everyone else in the house is stirring, do it! Nothing will help you more than growing closer to God and understanding who He is, and what He has for you. If you are too sleepy to get up before everyone else, get in bed earlier the night before. Do whatever you need to do to give God quality time before you face the day. You will be amazed at the difference it will make in everything you do, once it becomes a pattern. Be disciplined and stick with it.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Even Jesus sought to block out the world and meet with His Father. In Mark 1:35, he got up early and got away from everyone else to spend time with His Father. Our perfectly holy Savior felt the need to be alone with God the Father before everyone began needing Him. Doing so would help Him face the questions, the request for healing, and the doubts of the world. We too need to be still before our Father and gain strength to face whatever the day holds. We need to give God the first of everything in our lives, yes even the first part of the day before the world gains possession of our thoughts.
Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
Determine God will be first in your day. Lay the phone aside, silence everything that can interfere with your attention. Prove to God that He is the most important person in your life by being disciplined enough to continue. Change any other habits that will interfere with making Him first in your day. You can lie to yourself and others about His place in your life, but you cannot lie to God. One day we will stand before Him with the records of our life. Because this is a scary thought we need to change daily to be more like Christ. Will your records reveal He was first in everything?
