Silence and solitude.
Those are two words that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I think they’re words that really do encapsulate very important aspects of the faith and, in many ways, important ideas about how we grow in Christ.
For the majority of our time here on earth, we live distracted. Ads bombard us everywhere, tiny computers in our pockets wrestle for our attention and tempt us to mindlessly scroll away. I’m no stranger to this,as I succumb daily to the distractions of this world and am constantly fed lies that I am not living as I should. As these voices and these hindrances battle for my attention, I am reminded that we need to practice silence and solitude, and, in this silence and solitude, to listen. To sit still through all the noise and
listen…I think as of late, I’ve been constantly surrounded by people, a great blessing that I do not take for granted. In many ways, though, it has caused me to neglect my private quiet time with God. Having this silence and solitude is so important. How else can you grow a relationship with someone if you don’t spend time privately with them?
So in the midst of all the noise, the distractions, sit still with Him alone and talk to Him.
In a sermon I heard a couple years back, I remember about the stages of progression in our relationship with God.
Talk to God → Talk with God → Listen to God → Be with God
Learning to be with God is to sit with Him. In the solitude, enjoying His presence. It’s like sitting with someone you love dearly. Sometimes, you don’t need to say something to each other to really enjoy and treasure the moment. Simply
being with them is enough. Only in silence and solitude can I really
be with God.
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