Reducing the Noise!

copyright – www.sxc.hu – by Ayla87

In the last post I explored mind-food.  We have to manage our mind-food and it is very difficult in this world today with so many distractions.  One of my friends made me laugh with this tweet over the holidays:

Let’s not forget what the holidays are for: gathering around the table with your family so you can play on your phones and laptops.

Isn’t that funny;  until you stop and think about how true it often is.   But this taps into one of the big problems with our culture today.  There are so many things competing for our attention.  If we are going to think with the “mind of Christ” we must find time for silence and meditation.

Psalm 46:10 speaks to us today as a powerful admonition “Be still and know that I am God.”  Great men of the Bible had periods of silence in their lives.  Silence and being alone with God allow time for our mind to be restored and renewed.  It allows time for us to reflect on God, our purpose, our choices, and for prayer to God.

Here are a few suggestions for reducing the noise in our lives:

1. Turn off the TV;  don’t just let your TV run all the time, I think this is especially a good rule for families with kids.
2. Control your phone, don’t let your phone control you.  Use the silence and power button, you are in charge!!
3. Choose to take time to just rest without being focused on TV, reading, or some other activity.  Just let your thoughts wonder.
4. Turn off the radio in the car and just ride.  
5. Determine to have quiet time with God.  Spend some time in reading, meditation, and prayer as a part of your spiritual devotion to God.  Try to make this a set time each day.
6. Walk, jog, or exercise in a way that allows you to get away and be restored physically and mentally.
7. Find a hobby that gets you focused on it alone.  It can be anything from sewing to wood-working, but it will be a great blessing in reducing stress, refreshing your mind, and reducing the noise around you.
8. Determine to spend time in conversation just talking and being together with someone without noisy distractors like TV, phones, internet, and even kids!
9. Enjoy some mundane work away from distractions.  I grew up driving a cab-less John Deere 4020 or hoeing cotton and it was a blessing.  There is benefit to these types of work.  Maybe this is why so many like gardening today.

I think of the old quote that says, “I cannot hear what you say, because who you are screams so loudly.”  I fear that today, we cannot find out who we are, because the world is screaming so loudly in our ears. 

We need to reduce the noise in our lives to strengthen our families, our personal spirituality, our mental well-being, and most importantly, our relationship with God.  Go find a quiet spot in the midst of all the noise and dream, listen, reflect, pray, and be refreshed.  

Honestly, I often struggle with this topic.  It is just hard to find regular quiet time.  What other suggestions can you share for reducing the noise in our lives?