Silencing the Noise

Happy New Year! I hope your 2018 is off to a great start! As I sit here and reflect on the first month of this year, I can say that things are off to a beautiful start for me. I’ve received clarity and direction about a few things that were heavy on my heart and experienced peace and joy on a whole new level. In addition to those things, I’ve become increasingly aware of God’s presence in every fabric of my life. As I continue to reflect, I am able to trace these gifts and experiences back to the intentional decision I made at the beginning of the month to silence the noise in my life.

You may be wondering what I mean by this exactly. While this idea may mean something different for everyone, most may think of it as “unplugging” and getting rid of the distractions in one’s life. This is how I essentially think of it as well, but for me, silencing the noise was symbolic of me eliminating the (sound) barriers between me and God. My purpose for doing so was rooted in a number of reasons. The first reason was that I desired to amplify God’s voice in my life and to put myself in a position to clearly hear from Him, especially regarding His will and purpose for this season of my life and beyond. The second reason was that I wanted to become disciplined at allowing God to fill my greatest needs and longings. The third reason was that I desired to use this period of time to shift my focus and attention to God, making Him my first pursuit. Lastly, one of my greatest prayers during this time was for God to expose the dark, hidden areas of my heart  — anything that was displeasing to Him, causing me to stumble, or hindering me from reaching my fullest potential.

So how did practically go about silencing the noise in my life? Below are some of the ways I went about doing so:

Fasting — I abstained from eating certain foods for the month with the intent of growing spiritually and deepening my relationship with God (Matthew 4:4)

Praying — I prayed daily and practiced listening more (now having a better understanding that prayer is meant to be a dialogue between me and God).  Another thing I’d like to mention here is that sometimes the answers to our prayers may not be the answers we expect, if given a clear answer at all. In these cases, we have to walk by faith, understanding that God knows what’s best and has a plan for our lives.

Reading devotions and the Bible — My favorite devotion this month has been “Jesus Always” by Sarah Young.

Listening to Christian podcasts and music — One of my favorite podcasts is the “Elevation Church” podcast, but I also discovered and started listening to one called “setapartgirl” and have been throughly blessed by it!

Limiting my time or completely unplugging from social media and television — This by far was so beneficial! I found that I was more productive this past month as a result of eliminating these key time drainers. I also found that I was more joyful and content as I sometimes fall into the trap of comparing myself or my situation to others on these platforms.

Forcing myself to be still, meditate, and reflect — What I learned through this act was that the answers to my biggest questions were generally right in front of me, but I failed to recognize them due to the busyness and distractions of life. I also learned more about myself — my likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses, motivations, etc. — by taking the time to self-reflect.

Being fully present in every moment and conversation — My biggest take away here was that God has a way of using people and situations to speak directly to our situations. I received answers, direction, and confirmation in a number of my interactions and conversations with people this past month.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever practiced silencing the noise in your life; but if you haven’t, I highly encourage you to do so. Before doing so, however, make sure you’re clear about your purpose for doing so as this will motivate you when you feel tempted to quit along the journey. I’m so grateful that I did, because I received and experienced far greater than what I expected. In addition to some of the benefits I previously mentioned, I became less anxious about my future and developed a greater trust for God, I learned to run to God instead of things/people when I was in need, I became disciplined at acknowledging God in every area of my life and seeking Him before making big decisions, and most importantly, through this practice of silencing the noise in my life, I discovered that Christ is enough for me.

Until next time,

Imanne

Meditation Scriptures

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

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Lessons Learned During the Wait

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I Surrender