Practicing the Art of Quiet

We live in a noisy world.

Traffic. Restaurants. Workplaces. Schools. Churches. Shopping malls. Playgrounds. All can be filled with noise.

Even our own homes are rarely quiet places.

Noise isn’t necessarily bad. It means others are around to offer companionship or, at least, the sense that we are not alone.

Our enemy wants us to be surrounded by noise—loud or soft. Noise keeps our minds busy, keeps our hearts busy, and keeps our souls busy. We may not even realize how surrounded by noise we truly are. Noise is one of the enemy’s favorite distractions because it can keep us from hearing God’s voice.

Regardless of whether or not we are aware of the clamor, sooner or later, we hear the noise and realize…

We need quiet.

Our minds need quiet.

Our hearts need quiet.

Our souls need quiet.

Job 3:26 says, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil” (NIV).

We can certainly relate to Job’s words, can’t we?

Our world makes it difficult to find true quiet. Even in the country where I live, noise still manages to invade my space: cars, voices, airplanes, mowers, tractors, dogs barking, cows mooing, birds singing, bees buzzing…

You get my point.

On a snow-covered mountaintop, with no one else around—maybe that’s where true quiet occurs. But there may be the dripping from melting snow, crunching ice as you walk on it, your own panting as you try to adjust to the altitude.

Perhaps we need to readjust our vision of quiet.

Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (NIV). Have you ever walked beside a gently flowing stream? There is sound, but it’s soothing, rhythmic, and peaceful. Still waters can remind us of the Holy Spirit flowing down to fill us with an overwhelming sense of God’s presence, quieting the many thoughts rolling through our minds. He can make us more aware of the peace that dwells deep within us as children of God. Those waters may make noise, but even in the midst of that flow, we can still hear God’s voice and rest in his presence.

Our minds can be quiet even when we are surrounded by noise.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:12, Paul counsels, “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…” (NIV). How can we possibly live a quiet life? Again, we need to change our focus. As believers in Christ, we are at odds with the noisy world in which we live. We know our enemy is in charge of this place, and he will do whatever he can in order to keep us from being God’s hands and feet. This verse isn’t telling us to disengage from the world or to keep quiet about the injustices we see. Our “quiet life” should be reflective of Christ, and we should act as he prompts us. When we see someone hurting, we should do everything in our power to help. When we see a wrong, we should do everything we can to correct it. When we see a fellow believer struggling, we should do everything we can to come along beside her and encourage her.

A quiet life isn’t a life apart from the world. Instead, a quiet life is one that engages when God nudges, listens when God speaks, and loves when God encourages. A quiet life moves from one situation to another with the grace and compassion that only comes through deep inner peace and a close relationship with Christ. It boasts in what God has done for her, not in what she has done for another.

Our hearts can be quiet even when we are serving others.

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4, NIV). A “gentle and quiet spirit” radiates from within, and is the true source of our beauty. We can have a gentle spirit that does not age, wrinkle, or decay. As the years pass, our spirits become wiser, gentler, more in sync with God. That inner beauty is very precious to God, and we should be honored when he shows us ways to share the gentle spirit he has placed in us. A quiet spirit makes a woman strong—strong enough to lead other women, and strong enough to know when to be led.

Our souls can be quiet even when we are being an example.

So practicing the art of quiet isn’t exactly quiet as we tend to think of it. Yes, we need “quiet time” with God, searching the Scriptures and listening for his guidance. But hopefully you now see that holy quiet doesn’t have to be audibly quiet. Instead, it’s all about perspective, and the peace that dwells within.

Anita Fessler is a wife, mom, Bible study teacher, blogger, cook, who loves spending time with her family. She and her husband have two grown sons who come home to the farm in North Carolina often, bringing their special sweetheart girls with them. You can find Anita outside enjoying God’s creation alongside her man, or in the kitchen whipping up something delicious to eat! Speaking and writing are her favorite ways to minister, and you can follow her at https://anitafessler.wordpress.com/ or on social media at https://www.facebook.com/beverywellfed.

Photograph © Nathan Anderson, used with permission