Message Minute (The Danger of Drowning Out Silence)

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God."

When was the last time you sat in complete silence without reaching for your phone? For many of us, it's been years. We've lost the ability to be alone with our thoughts—and alone with God.

We fill every gap with noise: scrolling, asking Alexa questions, consuming content. The philosopher Blaise Pascal observed that humanity's problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone. Neuroscience confirms this—constant stimulation prevents our brains from entering the "default mode," where deep thinking, creativity, and spiritual awareness emerge.

Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray. He spent forty days in the wilderness. He wasn't checking notifications in Gethsemane. If Jesus needed solitude and silence to hear the Father, how much more do we?

AI never asks us to be still. It's instant, always available, always ready with responses. It fills the space where God used to meet us, becoming our first resort instead of our last. But some of the most important spiritual work happens in the waiting, in the silence, in not knowing what to do except seek God.

The still, small voice of the Spirit can't compete with the constant noise of artificial voices.

Reflection Question: What is it about silence that scares you or makes you anxious? Practice sitting in silence for a few minutes today – take notice of the beauty all around you, meditate on a verse from God’s Word, think about the good in your life right now, remember times of God’s faithfulness.

Prayer: Lord, restore our capacity for stillness. Teach us to quiet the noise and listen for Your voice. Help us create space where You can speak to our hearts. Amen.