It’s rare that I get the chance to spend a few hours in the car by myself on a road trip, but this was one of those days. Earlier this summer, my youngest had been with his grandparents for three weeks and the time had come to get him. As I readied myself, I sat in the car early in the morning before I left, scrolling through podcasts and audio books deciding what my playlist would be during the trip. Though I will often have some classic jazz or worship music on, most often I try to make the most of the time soaking up large volumes of information during my time alone from teachers I value.
Everything was in place. I had my iPhone mounted on the dash, Waze loaded, my weather app open since there was the potential for storms along the way. On the seat to my right, the iPad was mounted and on, ready to begin playing my predetermined selections. Coffee in holder to my right, snacks on the seat. Locked and loaded, I turn the key and pulled out onto the open road.
I Still Love You, Jack
Immediately I hit play on the iPad to begin my first audiobook. It’s a collection of short stories and essays by C.S. Lewis. Lewis has been a favorite for almost two decades now, but for some reason, I couldn’t get into it. My mind wandered and I lost track of what was being said. So, I switched over to my podcast and started a selection I’d been wanting to listen to, but apparently, that wasn’t happening either. Music? No. Nothing grabbed me. Finally, I decided to turn it all off and try again later. I had over three hours anyway. I’ll just drive.
The Value of Wrestling
At first, thoughts were random; images scrolled through my mind like a slideshow of unrelated snapshots. Finally, they began to organize and settle onto something that Karen and I had read that morning. It was a devotional reading that had left us both turning over the truth that we had read like little pieces of a puzzle, working through it with the hope that we could eventually figure out how it all fit together and applied to our lives.
I’ll leave the contents of that struggle for another essay as there was so much that I think is beneficial, it warrants special attention. That’s really the point of this, though: I was so focused on filling the hours in the car by myself with good information that I pushed aside the value of solitude and left no room for what might happen in the uninterrupted stillness. I almost missed the opportunity to fill my mind with the voice of God.
I decided to use my time to struggle through the implications of that devotional thought from the morning. The longer I mulled it over, the more sense it made and the more sense it made, the broader I found myself smiling. I experienced a bit of a breakthrough moment that I would have totally missed had I settled for Lewis during that ride.
Fortunately, weeks before, as I began writing again, I installed a good recording app on my iPhone and iPad to record thoughts and insights for later. I recommend that, since one never knows when inspiration or ideas will hit at times when writing them down is impossible. With the touch of the screen I began working through the solution out loud and then the hard process of working through what that looked like in my own life.
Wide-Open Spaces
That’s the thing about growing in your faith: it takes time and space. The process of sanctification requires quiet time in the Word of God, reading about who God is, what He calls us to, and listening for His loving voice teaching and guiding us so that we can experience maximum joy through a close relationship with Himself. Of course, much of that can (and I would argue, should) come through quality podcasts from godly teachers, but so much comes through the work of the Holy Spirit of God in our hearts during still moments of reflection while we work through what we have read or heard. As a word of caution, even the best of teaching can be used by the enemy to create what amounts to noise in your life, crowding out what God has for you in that moment, forcing you to settle for the good rather than the best.
I’m aware of how easy it is to fill our minds with noise. In our crazy, fast-paced world, we like noise. I’m not talking about a room full of crying babies or barking dogs kind of noise. I mean the kind of sounds that occupy our minds like music or news or audio books that helps us pass the time. These are great things in the right space and at the right time, but we have to be discerning on when we listen to them and make sure we’ve left space for self-exploration and listening for that still, small Voice.
A Place to Start
In a world of crazy noise, how can we make space for quiet? I want to offer a few, simple suggestions. There is nothing earth-shaking here—only a reminder of what you probably already know, but might still overlook.
1. Brutally carve out time and create space
Unless this is priority in your life, it will never happen. Ever. You can make time for what is important, which is the point. Is it really important? Taking time to be still and quiet may not sound like a non-negotiable, but imagine what would happen if Jesus physically showed up to talk to you? Would that TV show still seem quite so important? This is exactly what you are doing, though. You are carving out time to listen for the voice of your Creator.
Martin Luther famously said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Anyone who has read or studied the life of Luther knows that he was an extremely busy man, but realized that nothing he had to do could be done in his own power and wisdom. It was imperative then, that he create time and space to hear from God so that the rest of his responsibilities would be done according to the marching instructions of Christ, rather than in his own power.
Practically, this will mean looking at your schedule and working in some time. It doesn’t have to be three hours (though who could argue that’s a bad thing if it were!), but it needs to be something. Now, put it in your calendar! If you don’t make an appointment, it will never happen.
2. Don’t be afraid of silence
It’s small group time and your leading a discussion. You ask a question and after 5 sweat-inducing seconds of silence, you jump in either re-wording the question for round 2 or, more likely, you give a quick answer, as though it were rhetorical to start with and move on. Why? Because we’re terrified of silence. It’s awkward. It’s embarrassing. It’s downright uncomfortable and so we’re quick to fill it with noise. It can be the same even when you are alone.
Remember, God often speaks very quietly to the soul and at the time of His own choosing. He can’t be coerced or dictated to, so if you’re going to hear Him, you have to get over your fear of silence. Turn off the radio. Stop singing the latest top 10 single to yourself. Be quiet. It really won’t hurt you.
3. Absorb “raw material”
This may sound like an odd suggestion, but it’s simply the process of filling your mind with material the Holy Spirit can use to shape your heart. One obvious resource is Scripture. I call it raw material, not speaking of the quality of it, but in the sense that you read it regularly, sometimes in a deeper Bible study approach, but also just reading several verses or chapters to get it in your mind. Meditate on certain sections and pray through them.
Raw material may also include devotionals or quality books from trusted authors, not just for education but for inspiration. In your quiet space, you have opportunity to mull over the ideas that you’ve read which often lead to deeper thoughts and insights.
I would encourage you to occasionally read authors with which you disagree. This is not to open yourself up to negative influence but, certain of your own position, it gives you the chance to work through why you disagree leading to a deeper understanding and conviction of what you believe and why. This prepares you to engage in real-world conversations with those who hold those same views.
4. Ask probing questions
The reason I came to my “aha!” moment was because I struggled to determine the main point of what I’d read and how the general truth I discovered applied to me, specifically.
Too often we read passively rather than critically. We move through a book or an article without really digesting it. Ask those questions related to the intended meaning of the author (which is a main question in Bible interpretation, as well). Why did the author write it in the first place? What does this really mean? How do you live this out? Where does it fit in my life? Why can’t I make sense of this? What preconceived ideas (presuppositions) do I have that shape my thinking on this?
Don’t just read something, wrestle with it! Squeeze it until you have drained every last bit of mental and spiritual nourishment from it.
5. Think back through your day or the day before
Are there things you learned (or should have learned) that you need to process and ask those questions of? How often we miss opportunities to grow because we made it through the day without really living it. As Socrates said, “An unexamined life isn’t worth living.” The reason is that to do otherwise is called “existing”. God has designed our lives so that we can and should learn from every experience we are in. In God’s economy, nothing is wasted unless we, ourselves, are doing the wasting. Don’t kill time, redeem it!
6. What is the condition of your relationships?
If they’re good, work through what is leading to that and think about how you can build on it and continue grow in those particular areas. If there is a relationship you are struggling with, think and pray about what is wrong and how you can remedy the problem. If you think you are in the right, explore every angle to see if there is something you missed that maybe you should take responsibility for and work through a solution in your mind. If you are wrong, ask for strength and humility to make it right and determine how you’ll go about the process.
7. Jumping off of number 6, pray
I’ve saved the best for last because this is really the most important one. Psalm 46: 10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will exalted in the earth!” (ESV) or as some translations put it, “Stop your fighting and know that I am God, exalted among the nations…” (CSB). When we stop our struggling with others or life, in general, long enough to listen; when we are still and quiet, creating space and reclaiming time, we are reminded that God is God and we are not and He has everything under control. We settle into the realization that it is unnecessary to worry and fret over the uncertainties of life because He will be exalted in our lives through His provision and His deliverance. (Matthew 6)
The Cost-Reward Analysis
Any time you try to set aside time to think, to pray, to read Scripture, or to simply meditate on the presence and power of God, there are going to be distractions. One of the greatest costs will be saying no to all of the noise-inducing distractions we’ve become addicted to. We all know the primary one is our smart device and the TV. Always being struck by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), we have to check our updates or the latest episode of our favorite shows. Denying ourselves of these things feels costly and maybe it is, but the reward for decluttering our minds and spending time really thinking, listening for the voice of our Creator is worth it.
The enemy is going to make certain you feel as if you can’t so no. That’s guaranteed! I promise you, though, the payout on the investment and discipline it takes to follow through is worth the cost, so think about it.
