The Trouble With Noise

I am a first-class noise junkie. I always have music playing or my TV on when I’m home, even though I might not be watching it. I’m regularly checking the news online, and then social media—it can be so addicting—and noisy. Many of us are guilty of checking Twitter before we start and end the day. The noise in our life is full and never-ending.

In the midst of all this noise, many of us are pushing the voice of God further and further away. We don’t do it intentionally, but we do it because of all the noise we invite into our lives, and we lose the personal part of our relationship with Him.

Here is what I have discovered in my own journey: many of us can’t hear from God even though He is speaking to us. The amount of noise in our lives dilutes our ability to tune in and listen to Him.

As leaders, many of us desire to grow our relationship with God, but our daily to-do lists get overwhelming. Some of us spend time in the Word primarily to work on our next talk or material.

The noise of our world gets louder and louder—noise that pulls us into “things to do,” instead of a person to be. Things to do are important, but our hearts in doing so are even more important.

I love the biblically chronicled stories of Jesus when He went away to be still and sit with the Lord. In the book of Mark, right before Jesus goes into town and heals the leper, we see Simon and the disciples find that Jesus had gone away to pray. They find Him and say to Him: “Everybody’s looking for you.”

Exactly. Jesus knew the wisdom of getting away and sitting with His Father, and it’s true for you and me too.

If you are a systematic person, you might want to put time on your calendar to specifically turn down the noise. If you are super-relational, you need to follow the pull of wanting to “have” to be with someone and then realize that someone is Jesus himself.

In my own journey, I’ve found it wise to find a place I can go and just be with the Lord. No computer. No phone. Just God and me…okay, usually a cup of coffee too. The more consistently you do that, the more your spirit will begin to desire it. Spending time away from the noise and focusing on Him is very much a discipline. For many, the lack of this discipline is hurting our ministry, our relationships, and our lives.

Sometimes I think God is too busy handling important things like war, crisis, and the big news of the day to pay attention to whatever is going on in my life. It’s almost like God is that person whose office you never want to just barge into because he is always busy. Then you realize His door is always wide open, and He is leaning in your direction. Which makes it even crazier that the God of the universe, who is in everything will take time to bend His ear, His heart, and His voice your way when you take time to listen to and be with Him.

After almost 20 years in ministry, I keep learning how powerful it is to simply make time to seek His voice above the noise.

Let’s turn it down so we can turn Him up. Our lives and ministry will be better for it.