Silence is Golden

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."
-Mother Teresa

In these recent weeks, I have been finding myself overwhelmed with a plethora of events and obligations that have comprised my life so far. This feeling of always being "on the go" is nothing new to me, but I am starting to feel very tired more often than not, and I am talking more in the spiritual sense. I am not complaining about being busy or having many tasks; that means there is never a boring moment. But I have to continuously examine myself from God's perspective and see if maybe He needs me to slow down and find a time to rest in His presence.

The above quote is part of what God has been speaking to me about these past few weeks in finding moments of rest and solitude where I can spend time with God without the interferences life produces. I look to Jesus to see how His life and example handled this principle and necessity. After all, it is written in Psalm 46:10 to "be still and know that I am God."

Taking a look at some of the gospel, it is hard to find a moment where Jesus is staying still or seeking solitude, especially when His ministry is taking full-form. However, Jesus made it a point to seek out His father in moments of silence and solitude. For example, when Jesus set out into the desert for forty days, He did this in solitude. It was in this solitude that Jesus was "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1) and was able to resist the temptations of the Devil shortly after.

Another example of Jesus taking this to heart was after He miraculously fed the five-thousand.

"After sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray." (Matthew 14:23)

He didn't just do this at the end of His day, either.

"Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray." (Mark 1:35)

Those are just a few examples of Jesus seeking after God in the midst of His busy lifestyle of preaching and healing the sick and poor, but these verses remind me that all of us, regardless of our roles and positions in ministry or life, need to take time and seek God in solitude.

I am reminded that silence not only serves as a conduit to hear God speak to me, but to also express adoration and worship to Him, as well. Think about it for a second. For me, some of the most powerful and breathtaking moments I experience with God are in the midst of silence. It is those moments that I find it impossible to not hit the floor and worship my Savior. When noise and distraction come into play in those moments, we tend to hesitate instead of letting ourselves go in His presence. As I made clear in my previous post Timing is Everything, once that opportunity is gone, it is gone and you probably will not get another opportunity as powerful, breathtaking, and divine as it again. This is why silence is beyond important in our lives; we cannot afford to miss divine opportunities and moments with our God, especially when He is ever so willing to meet us where we are.

I would encourage you reading this entry to start regularly taking moments in your day to get away from everyone in your life, find a place absent of noise, and meditate on God. Whether that means bringing a bible with you to study His ways or closing your eyes and quieting your mind and spirit for a brief moment, make the most of this moment you have one-on-one with your Creator. When we start looking to God in our silent moments as both a worshiper and a vessel for His glory, amazing transformation is not only a by-product of this willful act, it is a guarantee! Stop letting your life slip away in all these tasks and give God what He wishes to bestow upon us - a sound mind instilled with the spirit of peace and beauty.

Timing is Everything

"Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in."

-Napoleon Bonaparte

As of late, my thoughts have been drifting to some of my past achievements and what it took to accomplish them. Such achievements such as earning my college degree, gaining a new car and bass guitar, and most recently earning my full-time status at my current place of employment are all great examples of these achievements and truly make me joyful. But how did I earn these achievements and how did these occur? One word - opportunity. There is an opportunity involved before these moments and every moment, small or vast, in our lives. I had to take a step in faith with each of the previously mentioned opportunities and try and make the most of them, regardless if the payoff was immediate or not.

My recent train of thoughts are inspired by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Colossi. While Paul is imprisoned in what could be considered (in those days) one of the worst holding areas imaginable, he writes in this letter, which is found in Colossians 4:5, "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity (NLT)." This sentiment is echoed throughout all of his letters, including his letter to Ephesus: "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (5:15-16; NLT)."

So my question to you reading this entry is what are you doing with the opportunities presented to you? I know there are a lot of opportunities I have failed to act upon because of my own indecisiveness, fears, or because I failed to acknowledge that an opportunity existed. Some of these missed opportunities have cost myself and some people close to me and I have learned it is less costly to make the most of these opportunities right away.

Unfortunately, many of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus suffer from this same weakness. We see an opportunity in front of us, look at it for a second, maybe even wave or examine it a bit, but before we know it, the opportunity vanishes and it is lost forever. Paul instructs all of us to "make the most of every opportunity," and yet we choose by our action of inaction to watch some of them pass by.

You may be trying to justify to yourself that some of these "opportunities" were minute and have no bearing on where you are in life. This may be true, sure, but you are forgetting that as a follower of Christ, your life is no longer your own to serve. Your actions or lack thereof may greatly affect another individual, and you making the most of these opportunities, as minute as they may appear, could lead that person closer to God. Remember that your actions, your thoughts, and what you choose or not choose to do affect more than you may realize, regardless how small or insignificant the opportunity appears. Consider this the "butterfly effect" of God's plan. One missed opportunity that seems insignificant may cause untold consequences to others later on down the road of Life.

As you examine the opportunities presented in your life, keep in mind what we are warned about in James 4:14 - "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog ('mist' in other translations) - it is here a little while, then it's gone (NLT)." We are only given a short amount of time on this Earth to make an impact towards others and for the glory of the Almighty. This may be a message or virtue you may already be aware of or practicing, but be aware that reading this entry also presents an opportunity, as well. You may only get one shot at certain opportunities. His timing is truly everything, so make the most of these opportunities presented to you before, just like Life, "it is gone."