The beauty of silence

Sometimes I say too much. Sometimes I don’t know what to talk about. Most of the time, I enjoy silence. Part of the reason is being somewhat “different” in the way I think, perhaps either ADD or mild autism. I am aware that all my life I’ve been unable to chatter away in small talk. I also know that I cannot listen to or participate in conversation and work at the same time. If I try it, I must stop the work (or make mistakes in doing it) or shut my mind to those who speak, which can be rude. I would rather be silent. However, as this love of silence increases, I realize it is part of learning to listen to the Lord.

And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. (Luke 9:33–36)

Tozer adds a dimension to silence that is new to me. He agrees that not all silence is spiritual. Sometimes I just have nothing to say or what comes into my head is not to be shared aloud; perhaps a truth given by God to me, either for prayer or for unspoken praise in a situation where those with ears would not understand or be unable to join me.

Tozer also says that there is a progression concerning speech in the life of believers. We start out with a profusion of praise in speech or prayer or in sharing Christ with others. As that reaches a place where our knowledge of God has not caught up with our desire to speak, we might sing instead. However, there comes a time when God’s glory goes beyond the words of any songs and we fall silent, and the soul is held in deep fascination, blessed with unutterable praise.

Few people know or understand this kind of silence. Most of the people I know seem to talk too much, even avoid silence. To them, it is like a blank wall that needs to be written on. Yet silence is a wonderful part of readiness to hear God and, as Tozer says, to worship Him.

The Lord Jesus is teaching me His secret of silence, well-known and often applied. Provocative questions, accusations, mocking, and attempts to trap Him went unanswered. He followed His Father’s leading because He kept quiet long enough to know what He wanted done and said or unsaid.

Tozer says we never really come to know ourselves because we cannot keep quiet long enough. I agree. He also quotes that “more spiritual progress can be made in one short moment of speechless silence in the awesome Presence of God than in years of mere study.” This moment is brief, but whatever I’ve learned in silence sticks with me.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I’m glad that the circumstances of my life allow silence. I’m not in a noisy office, or in a place where there is constant sound. I can turn the radio or television on or off as I want, and off has been the default for many years. You are teaching me to hear You, and that is a marvel. In learning to hear You, I’m becoming better at hearing others and at knowing what to say — and when to say it — and when to shut up and just listen.

It's time to sing that song again . . .

One day this week I stopped in my morning walk to listen. I was near a large pond on the left, just west of our home. A huge condo complex stands on my right. Behind me are blocks of houses. To the south is a major ring road, perhaps 4-6 blocks away. Yet the air was empty of noise. For a few minutes, I heard nothing except the swish of a bird landing in the pond. As I used to do with my children, I stood and listened to the silence.

One spiritual discipline is the art of silence. It is in the quietness of life that God is best heard, but silence is a discipline to be practiced. Our world is terribly noisy. Then, by learning to listen in the silence, I can better discern the voice of God in the clamor of life.

Luke records what is called the Magnificant, or Mary’s song. In her perplexity and joy, she could have chosen worry or fear, but she decides to focus on her joy and praise God.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:46–50)

Was she in a place of silence when she sang this song? I suspect she was. I call silence a place of grace for so often that is the place and time where songs bubble up in my heart. I hear God best in silence and perhaps then is when He best hears me, not that He needs silence as I do, but that silence is the place for my best thoughts.

Last night we attended the first session of a “Living Generously” seminar. I feel badly for those who stayed away because they thought it would be about their wallets. Instead, it is about the freedom of totally trusting God, about being absolutely surrendered to His care. It is about silencing the building of our own kingdoms and relaxing in His. It is about the joy of knowing that the God of glory is meeting all my needs, and in that knowledge, my heart begins to sing.

Today’s devotional says that singing is the language of heaven. The author didn’t offer a chapter and verse for that conclusion, but I suspect he is correct. Whenever I remember that God is in charge and focus on that wonderful reality (instead of my worries), songs bubble up in my spirit.

This is what happened to Mary. She had nothing to sing about in her situation, yet she trusted God and was able to let go of her anxieties, even her plans for her own life. Instead, she saw that God was doing something great and she magnified Him with a song.

The seminar runs all day today. I suspect we will do some group singing, but I also suspect there will be moments where the speaker gives us time to ponder what he offers us, just as he did last night. When he does that, in the silence my heart will no doubt be filled with songs of praise. 

Just shut up

The first sins after than initial eating of the forbidden fruit was self-defense and blame-shifting. When God asked about what he had done, Adam said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself. . . . The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:10–12)

Adam defended himself. Also, it is often said that he blamed Eve, but that phrase “You gave to be with me” showed that he blamed God for his sin. While this seems ludicrous, the New Testament has to remind us that we tend to do this:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13–15)

In the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the ways that I blame God. It seems that each time I complain, given that I believe God is sovereign, then I am actually blaming God’s providence for the circumstances that I do not want or like. My mother used to say, “Well, we must need this or we would not be getting it.” These words were her way of trying to remind the family to be thankful rather than complain.

It is easier to be thankful for the good stuff. For instance, yesterday funeral service for my mother-in-law was a surprise blessing. The music, the message, the brief eulogy all worked together (evidence of the Holy Spirit who alone can produce such unity). Even the most distressed mourners were amazed at the blessing and the peace that came to their hearts. We can easily thank God for that and events like that.

However, this morning we looked out our hotel room window to a spring snowstorm. This is nasty weather for the six-hour drive home. Can I thank God for events like this? Or do I offer verbal expression to how much I do not like what is happening outside?

The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted but did not sin. Surely this temptation to defend Himself and blame His Father would have been one of those ‘all’ points. One example where such temptation might have occurred was just before His crucifixion.

Then Pilate said to Him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But He gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27:13–14)

Jesus could have said, “My Father put me here to bear the sins of the world, so I must do that, no matter how nasty they are or how many lies they tell about me.”

Those would have been legitimate words; they were true. Out of His mouth they could have been uttered without a trace of resentment. Yet He knew our minds. Had He said that, I might have been the first one to use such a response to justify my responses to hardships, even those experienced when I obey God. They are what some called a “hidden brag” because saying something like this is self-serving. It says ‘look at me’ and even ‘poor me’ rather than resisting the temptation to make obedience about me instead of a glory to God.

*****

The Bible says that no one ever spoke like Jesus spoke. Spurgeon points out that no one was ever silent like Jesus either. Lord, I could take a few lessons in this. I’ve always been quick to defend myself when accused or even misunderstood, and quick to blame others, even You, when things do not go the way that I want them to. This makes life all about me, which is the very essence of sin. You created me to bring You glory. To do this, many times I don’t need to talk, but to simply shut up.

To Live is Christ — being silent

Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time to keep silent and a time to speak. Knowing which is which can be challenging.

I usually speak when I should be quiet and say nothing when I should say something. Over the years, silence has been more difficult, particularly when someone does something against me. Then I use my mouth as a weapon of self-defense.

The Bible has much to say about that. One verse comes to mind, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19–20).

Although I’ve read that verse dozens of times and know it from memory, learning the truth of it has come more from experience than obedience. I’ve found out the hard way that God seldom works through my anger and even less through my angry outbursts.

Not all anger is sinful (Ephesians 4.26 says, “Be angry and do not sin . . . ”), yet the two often go together. Even at that, keeping silent while angry is bad for a person’s health. I must talk to God, and sometimes talk to the offending person. Apart from those options, I’m never supposed to go to bed angry.

Being silent about sin isn’t good either. David wrote about what the effect that silence about his sin had on him. He also described how speaking to God about his sin changed everything. 

When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer . . .  I acknowledged my sin to You . . .  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin . . . You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:3–7)

Today’s devotional verses are about those changes too. They speak of hiding in God as my refuge and being delivered by Him. Here, instead of speaking up, the psalmist urges me to wait silently for God. This is a time for silence.

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. (Psalm 62:5–7)

I cannot “wait silently for God alone” with sin in my heart. However, I have a huge problem being silent when I am angry. Having an expectation that He will act can only happen if I have genuinely forsaken all my ideas about taking matters into my own hands. If I am trying to solve my problems, or am thinking how I can defend myself, or plotting ways to get even with someone who has wronged me, there is no silent expectation. This is impossible because I have stopped trusting Him and am trusting myself. When that happens, I talk too much.

This week, I’ve had several occasions when I wanted to speak up, or answer back, or put down someone for sinning against me. At least once, God organized circumstances to prevent me from saying anything. At that, I’ve felt both humbled and protected. God was saving me from myself, protecting me from my foolishness, and helping me to obey this call to wait silently.

He is my defense. He says in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

I don’t know what He will do to repay what was done to me, but I know that He is my hiding place. He can, and does, and will take care of me. Knowing this makes waiting silently a much easier choice.