Avoid the Noise
Avoid the Noise
He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” (Mark 6:31)
Caught in the Chaos
Many men have their on/off switch stuck in the up position. We’re so busy doing, achieving, succeeding, and conquering things, the concept of rest is almost foreign to us. Isn’t resting what the people in Fiji do? Yet rest is important—even biblical. In Mark 6:31 Jesus says, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while.”
But how do we rest in a society that bombards us with information and entertainment? From the Internet to exciting hobbies to movies on demand, not to mention full-bore, full-time work that leaks over into the evenings and weekends, we can easily fill our minds (and days) with seemingly beneficial things. If we live with a nonstop mentality too long, however, we don’t end up feeling successful. Instead we just feel tired and burned out.
Grounded in Silence
Studies show God created our minds to work best in silence. In the quiet we can more effectively think, sort our thoughts, and feel God’s presence.
To grow closer to God, we need to rest. Filling our minds with new information or working hard to accomplish a goal isn’t bad, except when it distracts us from God. The world is filled with so many distractions, it’s important to plan quiet time in a solitary place. Whatever happened to sitting down with a good book—or the Good Book? Try it, and watch your relationship with God grow.
Bottom Line
Seek silence. That’s where the Lord can be heard the loudest.