Turning Down the Noise
As a nation and culture, we lead noisy lives—and I’m not just talking about sounds. I mean the constant clamoring in our heads and hearts, the endless responsibilities and distractions, and the dopamine-fueled fix of the phones we keep glued to our hands.
Sadly, boredom doesn’t exist anymore. Do you remember back in the 90s when cell phones weren’t really out yet, and if you had to make a call you had to wait and find a pay phone?
If someone left a voicemail, they might not hear back for a day or two. There was no instant text message.
If you were standing in the grocery line waiting for your turn, you actually just had to wait and be bored or strike up a conversation with someone around you!
This shift has changed our day to day lives. We struggle to be fully present, whether with God or people. We don’t know how to just be. And when the noise and pressure builds up, we try to escape.
We escape to Netflix, social media, or endless to-do lists. (In reality, we are now making our brains process more which inevitably makes us more tired and restless!) If we’re desperate, we may even spend hundreds or thousands on a vacation just to come back home and feel more uneasy than before we left.
Instead of cheap “escapes” that don’t truly refuel or renew us, let’s come back to the two ancient practices of silence and solitude.
Rediscovering Silence and Solitude
Our church has been in a series working through The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, and we have been blessed by what we’ve learned. Comer discusses the importance of silence, explaining that it has both external and internal dimensions. External silence is fairly straightforward—turning off TVs, phones, and other distractions. Internal silence, however, is much harder to cultivate.
Comer notes that we often medicate internal noise by increasing external noise, which only worsens the issue rather than solving it. He explains that in a world filled with constant distractions, we risk becoming deaf to the voice of God.
He reflects on how noise affects our spiritual lives, writing, “The noise of the modern world makes us deaf to the voice of God, drowning out the one input we most need.”
When we avoid dealing with the internal noise, we find ourselves discontent, or even worse, seeking affirmation and identity in the wrong places.
Let me ask you, what noises or voices are you listening to that are clouding the voice of who you really need to be hearing? Is it your own voice, other voices, work, social media, politics, children, or expectations? What’s keeping you from silence, or what are you running from within that you keep drowning out with external noise?
True silence is cutting off both internal and external noise so we can reach a place where we actually hear what is going on within our souls.
Silence is time alone in the quiet with ourselves and God.
Letting Silence Do its Work
We can’t silence the internal noise on our own. Jesus modeled this for us, getting away from the crowds to spend time in silence and prayer. We have to practice quieting the distractions around us, facing what’s stirring within, and offering it to Him. In its place, we can fill our hearts with scripture and prayer.
If we’re honest, many of us have never done this. We’re more exhausted, restless, and worked up than ever.
Some of us live in constant outrage, like ticking time bombs ready to explode. We never pause long enough to ask, “What’s really going on inside me? Why am I so angry?” Sometimes the internal noise is so loud that counseling is needed. That is not a bad thing. There is actually strength in getting counseled. I have done it many times before.
Silence reveals what’s buried deep within us, bringing it to the surface.
We often avoid this, but it’s in this space that true freedom begins. Here, we can finally see ourselves for who we really are, breaking the chains of internal noise that once held power over us. In this moment, we can fully surrender to God, saying, “Here I am—this is me.” And in return, we experience His true love, grace, and acceptance.
Solitude: The Companion to Silence
Comer also reminds us that silence and solitude go hand in hand. He references Richard Foster, who describes the difference well: “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” Solitude is the contentment that comes from being alone with God and our souls.
I’m not an expert at this by any means, but here are a few simple things I do to make space for silence and solitude in my life:
Morning Quiet Times
I wake early and spend at least 30 minutes with God in the quiet of the morning with my Bible and a glass of water. I usually spend time praying and reading the Psalms and make sure not to look at my phone. I even charge my phone someplace else and use an alarm clock so I’m not tempted to look at it. I let the quiet ground me for the day ahead.Quiet Moments After Work
When I arrive at home after work, I sit in my parked car with the music off, close my eyes, and let the silence settle until I can hear myself breathe. Then I will pray ask the Lord to help me release the burdens of the day and transition from pastoring to now loving my family.Yearly Retreats Into Nature
One thing I try to do every year by myself or with my wife is to retreat to a lake house or remote area where my phone doesn’t work to rest, pray and seek God for our church. I have found that there is something really sobering about looking out at nature and everything being quiet. It’s in those places that I am able to have my best times with God. My phone is off, there’s no internet or cable. I wake up slow in the morning with some coffee, my Bible, and a good breakfast—just looking at the water and just sitting still with no agenda at all. These are moments where my soul is refreshed and I am able to hear the direction of God.
A Call to Practice
Silence and solitude aren’t just about personal well-being—they’re about equipping us to reflect God to the world. As Henri Nouwen wisely observes, “Compassion is the fruit of solitude.” When we step out of these moments, our cups should overflow with compassion for others.
I believe this is exactly what Jesus modeled. He got away to be with God in order to return and minister to a waiting and watching world—not escaping it, but preparing to re-engage with it.
Whatever it looks like for you, take a step toward silence and solitude this week. Make a practice of turning down both external and internal noise.
Start small. Turn off your phone, sit quietly, and be real with God about what’s in your heart.
Let’s be people who retreat to refuel so that we can return to a noisy world with renewed clarity, compassion, and love.
