Not long ago, I sat through a presentation from a business man sharing 8 characteristics of a Leader. It was your typical list: a servant, has vision, inspires, builds relationships, etc. However, there was one characteristic at the end of his presentation that surprised me. The speaker said, “if you don’t know how to face yourself in silence then you have no right facing others amongst the noise.”
Silence doesn’t come easy for me. As much as I try, I can easily be distracted by my cell phone, kids running around, or a to do list that occupies my mind. I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle. Culturally, we seem to be doing everything we can to eliminate silence. It’s hard to go for a walk in the park these days without seeing people on their cell phone or with ear buds pumping music. During Covid, many of us learned the peace that comes with slowing down, but since then most of us jumped right back to our busy schedules and technologies that leave us exhausted and with no time to be still.
Americans have lost the art of “being” because we are too busy doing. We have lost the art of facing ourselves.
I recently heard an illiterate man talk about how he starts his day. He said he and his wife start every morning in their church sitting in silence for 2 hours. Since he can’t read someone asked, “what do you do for 2 hours?” He responded by saying, “we lay our heart and desires before Jesus and we listen to what he says.”
Since we live in a culture doing everything it can to eliminate silence, we must intentionally choose to be different.
The Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters), in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2.)
The purpose of “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice” and “not conforming to the pattern of the world” is so we will be able to hear what “God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
How can we ever expect to lead ourselves, our families, co-workers, neighbors, friends, etc. if we aren’t sitting in silence listening to the will of our Father? As a follower of Jesus, we must listen to our Master for His leading.
You just took five minutes to read this letter? Do you think you could now take five minutes in silence laying your heart and desires before Jesus listening to what He says?
Peace,
Nick
Silence doesn’t come easy for me. As much as I try, I can easily be distracted by my cell phone, kids running around, or a to do list that occupies my mind. I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle. Culturally, we seem to be doing everything we can to eliminate silence. It’s hard to go for a walk in the park these days without seeing people on their cell phone or with ear buds pumping music. During Covid, many of us learned the peace that comes with slowing down, but since then most of us jumped right back to our busy schedules and technologies that leave us exhausted and with no time to be still.
Americans have lost the art of “being” because we are too busy doing. We have lost the art of facing ourselves.
I recently heard an illiterate man talk about how he starts his day. He said he and his wife start every morning in their church sitting in silence for 2 hours. Since he can’t read someone asked, “what do you do for 2 hours?” He responded by saying, “we lay our heart and desires before Jesus and we listen to what he says.”
Since we live in a culture doing everything it can to eliminate silence, we must intentionally choose to be different.
The Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers (and sisters), in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2.)
The purpose of “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice” and “not conforming to the pattern of the world” is so we will be able to hear what “God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
How can we ever expect to lead ourselves, our families, co-workers, neighbors, friends, etc. if we aren’t sitting in silence listening to the will of our Father? As a follower of Jesus, we must listen to our Master for His leading.
You just took five minutes to read this letter? Do you think you could now take five minutes in silence laying your heart and desires before Jesus listening to what He says?
Peace,
Nick