Tag: presence

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How to Gain Silence and Solitude in a Busy World

I can be like an A.D.D. supercharged squirrel trying not to get hit by an oncoming car. I’m on the go and I like it that way. I kind of bounce in between boredom and an overwhelmed panic attack state. Filling up my schedule so that the yellow line heading towards overheating red is just right. I have a sinking suspicion if you live in the western world you are there too; a society of people constantly moving in a noisy world. We have no time for silence and solitude.

 I’m typing this blog post on a computer with my smart phone next to me. Oh yeah, and a Youtube worship music video on the TV. Writing on this blog is quiet down time for me and this is the amount of action I have in quietness. I’m not alone in my scurry. What is going on around you as you read this? More than we realize we have squeezed out stillness and presence with “multi-tasking” (which is scientifically impossible).

I have been studying a lot about Jesus heading to places of silence and solitude often. I have been adding more and more of these moments of oasis in a digital hypersonic world and it’s changing my inner life and my relationships.

You Benefit From Silence and Solitude

There is an inner and an outer benefit to having moments of silence and solitude and our souls long for it. When we remove stillness, we become inwardly hurried and outwardly impatient. We can struggle to hear God’s voice and in turn sit passively. We can lose our personal call and blend into the culture around us.

Quiet time is difficult to obtain even if our hearts want it because we fill our lives to the brim. I have found that I need to fight for it and you will need to fight for it as well. Here are 4 tips that you can experiment with to help you gain some moments of silence and solitude.

Wake up Early to Gain Silence and Solitude

With a young family it is hard for me to get alone time unless I get up early. Setting an alarm to gain even an extra five minutes is a great way to ensure that I start my day alone with God. My wife craves that time too. She often wakes up a little bit after me, after I have had some quiet time with God and about the same time a few of our kids are awake, so I ensure they stay occupied while she gets her time with Him too. If you are married, helping each other by someone waking up a little early is a way to help get quiet time.

Set an alarm to Gain Silence and Solitude

I have three alarms set on my phone throughout the day. They are set as a reminder for me to stop, breathe, and commune with Jesus. I have one set at 8:00 am when I start work, one at 12:00 pm for lunch, and one to end the day at 5:00 pm. These alarms are placed at transition points to help me stop and consider God and seek His voice. It also helps me to leave work at work and home at home. Set an alarm and get in the practice of stopping everything even for just a minute.

Try an app

An app can help you stop and listen to God. Giving structure to our silence can be very helpful. I enjoy the Pause App because of this. While playing soothing music, it guides me through verses, questions to ask God, and really helps me stay focused instead of allowing my mind to wander. A plus to this app is it has alarm settings as well. Try an app to help you stop and listen more often.

Set a habit

Habits will win over hustle and bustle if you set them up. The quickest way to form a habit is to form it around something that already is a habit. For example, I make coffee every morning. If I stop and have silence right then I can form the habit quicker and that’s just what I have done. It is the other reason I form these pauses around set changes like going somewhere or coming home. It set an anchor to that point. Only in forming a habit to our silence and solitude can we have consistency.

Start with a consistent small change and try it out. If you don’t have success try a new experiment. Find what works for you, just don’t give up. These are counter cultural that will help you in your relationship with God and others. Don’t squirrel through life, rather have a steady rhythm of refill with God in silence and solitude and then do the work He is calling you to.

For more tips here is a short video.

What helps you to have moments of stillness with God?

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How to go from Stress to Peace

“Breathe. Calm down and unclench your jaw,” I talk to myself trying to slow my racing heart and tightness of my entire being. I feel like I may be trying to solve the whole world’s problems by grinding and pressing my molars together as hard as I can. A great way to unwind after a long day. So far it hasn’t done much other than the gift of a giant headache. I don’t know about you but more often than I would like to admit, I’m winning the game of high blood pressure more than peace. I wish high blood pressure was rewarded. Alas I only get a bunch of vitamins and fish oil.

This year has been a fun time to lead. Yes, sarcasm is highly intended with that statement. Every decision is unpopular. Every person is triggered, and I don’t know about you but I need one day without a new “gift” to drop this year. No corona, no murder hornets, no elections, no bubonic plague found in squirrels. I’m quite done with 2020 surprises and I’m sure you are too.

If you are struggling with peace during this time, try these 3 things.

Examine the Fruit

A lack of peace is fruit. Just like peace is fruit (Gal 5:22-23), meaning it’s a byproduct of following and relying on God or not. Often when we lose our peace we focus on our circumstances around us. For example my rant against 2020 surprises above. However, if peace is a byproduct of surrender to the Spirit of God in us then it has little to do with the rona, hornets, and even the plague. Instead of looking at what is going on around us we should examine what we are believing that is causing our responses. Take some time and pray about what you are believing that is causing you stress.

Give God Control and Gain Peace

I have really good ideas about the way things should go. In fact they are so good that I want God to follow my lead. Pretty ridiculous when I write it down, however, it’s kind of true. I like to try and control a lot of things that are beyond my control and put off doing the things that I can control.

I have found that I’m not alone in trying to control the world. Stop by any social media for two seconds and it’s filled with right people tearing down the wrong group. We do a poor imitation of an all knowing all seeing God. When I lose my peace I notice that a lot of time I’m playing a part I was never meant to play. Though possibly well meaning are you trying to play a part you aren’t designed to play? Most often the answer for me is yes. There is very little that I actually control and acknowledging it helps me to have peace because God’s got a lot more than I do, so I can breathe easy when my hands are off the wheel.

Presence

I don’t like the present very often. I kind of live with a third of my mind on the past, a third on the future, and a third on the present. It is a terrible cocktail. I can’t figure out my future, but man I want to know. I can’t redo the past. Maybe it can explain why I am the way I am though. Visiting the past to get healing is great. Casting a vision of the future is awesome. However, when we stay in either of those places we lose the beauty God wants to do in the now. When you lose your peace ask yourself what time period am I thinking about? Usually for me it’s not now. If you are wandering off of the moment, take some time and look at the beauty God has made around you. Slow down and soak in this very moment.

Looking at the root, controlling what you can control, and living in the present with God is a recipe for peace. It’s easy to slip in any of these areas. Be kind to yourself as you learn to trust God more with the parts of your life that don’t make sense. I often pray, “Lord I believe, help me to believe.”

What returns peace to your soul?