The Power of Silence

In the modern world at large, and especially in the United States, there seems to be a borderline obsession with every individual voice being heard that has gained more and more popularity over the past few years. Every time you turn around, it seems as though there's a new person or group out protesting and complaining about not being heard. With all the noise coming from every imaginable direction, however, it's difficult to really hear any of it.

At one time or another, just about everyone has fallen victim to this human tendency to want to be heard, but what most people don't often think about, myself included, is that in order to expect to be heard, one must first learn to listen. In order to accomplish that, however, we must put aside our own prideful nature and learn to just be quiet. That, I think, is probably the biggest issue most people refuse to consider.

The power of silence is a concept many don't understand, for good reason. It strikes most people as common sense that the best way to get a point across or accomplish a goal is to be active and loud, making your perspectives and opinions heard. The thing is, though, humans are often arrogant creatures who refuse to accept the possibility of being wrong. News flash, people are wrong all the time.

Far more often than not, when only one side of an issue is considered, that not only prevents a resolution, but simply makes all involved parties simply dig in their heels and become more entrenched in their positions. Christians, as counterintuitive as it might seem, have a tendency to fall into that trap even more than some other groups. For that reason, one of the more prevalent and yet, grossly overlooked messages in the Bible is that of the power of silence.

But what does that mean? Well, that's both a very simple and very complicated question, at the same time.

As a lifelong avid outdoorsman, I often find a lot of solace in simply being out in nature. Whether I'm hunting, watching wildlife, fishing or simply being outside enjoying a nice spring day, it doesn't much matter. Just the quiet peace that comes from being outside is one of the best ways I've found to unwind and forget about the stresses of my life.

In those instances, I often find myself contemplating not only deep issues of life, but the simplicity and love of creation itself. As odd as it might sound to some, I've learned more from just sitting in silence and listening to whatever might go on around me than many of the times I found myself in a classroom or conversation with someone who thought they had a lesson for me.

One of the most popular biblical references to the power of silence that comes to mind is one I've heard in songs, on posters and even in many a sermon over the years. That reference comes from Psalms 46:10, which states, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

When you're just sitting out in nature, silently soaking in all that's around you, it's almost impossible not to do exactly what that verse says, but it's far from the only example we have of the power silence can have over the struggles of life. The Old Testament, especially, is full of such lessons, including that of Samuel and Eli in 1 Samuel 3.

In that story, Samuel is still a young boy who had no experience with any sort of prophetic vision or direct contact with God, so when he was first called by the voice of the Lord, he thought it was Eli calling. When Eli realized what was happening, he encouraged the boy to simply acknowledge the voice and listen. Eli knew his time as high priest was nearing its end, but was a devoted enough servant of God that he set his own misgivings aside and encouraged Samuel to welcome whatever the Lord had for him.

As it turns out, the vision that followed was one of God's judgment against Eli for the sins of his family. From that point on, Samuel knew the voice of the Lord and went on to become a major biblical prophet.

Granted, not everyone can just go out and become a prolific prophet, but there's far more than can be taken from that story. If Samuel hadn't been so willing to listen, he would have missed out on all that God had for him and that's something modern Christians would benefit noticeably from emulating. No matter how small or ridiculous or even offensive what you're hearing might seem, we should all strive to be like Samuel and Eli, listening to what God has put in front of us and learning from it.

The power of silence might not be a concept many are able to understand and take part in, but it's very real and can have far greater impacts than we realize on the world, as a whole.