I recall many years ago while in primary school and especially when there was no teacher in the class room, we - the pupils used to chat, scream, cry, generally be a real nuisance and the whole atmosphere sounded like weaver birds singing to the top of their voices.
Then suddenly the teacher would walk in
and shout: S I L E N C E!!!!
And like water poured into fire, the noise would instantly go dead! you could literally hear a pin drop. Sometimes those who were the loudest would be chastised, other times, just warnings would suffice, but in any case, no sooner had the teacher left the classroom than like in joyous harmony, the 'singing' began; more like how classical music starts, slowly then gradually the resonance is felt in successive dips and highs if you know what I mean.
Upon growing up to the man I am now, I have revisited those scenes in primary school and always laughed at myself whenever I recall the SILENCE bit that the teachers used to utter.
Interestingly though, I have come to realise that too much noise is really a sign of something deep. This noise may be internal(within you) - call it restlessness, anxiety, confusion, unsettled mind or it may be external - coming from your environment - pressure at work, threats, being misunderstood, deadlines, etc.
Whichever it is, you will agree with me that, too much noise is a source of big time distraction, hinders proper planning & progress and is just downright unhealthy - ever heard of noise pollution?
The pace of life in this modern age is one where swiftness and urgency seem to be the order of the day. Technological advancement have even meant that, things across continents just happen at a click.
It almost seems like if you don't keep up with the joneses, you will wake up one day and find yourself out of touch with the world.
Patience which once used to be a well cherished virtue seems to take its toll as almost everything begs for urgent attention. It is not surprising that impatience among many is a very common disposition and someone rightly said one time that; we seem to be living in a' microwave' generation, where everything has to be ready in a matter of seconds/minutes.
A place of quietness and reflection has been so relegated, so much so that this very wonderful practice now bears no apparent significance in many peoples lives.
The truth is,..
Our bodies are designed to have moments of rest,(besides the normal night sleep), for recuperation and revitalisation, it's no wonder our Creator, the God almighty even said that we should rest one day in a week. If you subject your body and intellect to too much strain without adequate rest and moments of quietness, soon, you will realise that you can't cope and if you must cope, it will be the most challenging thing.
To be truly effective in the mid to long term, one ought to take moments of rest, planning, to strategies, visualisation and generally to think things through.
And,...
You can not do these effectively if you are surrounded by/with a lot of noise; either externally from our environment or internally from our own selves. We ought to learn to be quiet, to be still/tranquil. It is a noble act and a very powerful practice.
"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of Wisdom" James Allen.
So,..what exactly is SILENCE and how can you benefit from the practice of silence as a lifestyle?
In the few lines that follow, and by the grace of God, I have endeavoured to bring this to light.
Let's see how far we can get, shall we? Oh, yes!
See, Silence is the element of greatness. It is in Silence that great things fashion themselves.
If you are to ponder the path of your feet and have your ways be established, you will have to take moments of silence. If you are to keep sound wisdom and discretion, moments of silence will be inevitable
In a nutshell, Silence is the art of Kingship and greatness: Say less, Act and Listen more; and the place of effective listening(to yourself and others) is in silence.
Remember, even God was Silent for 400 years before the Messiah was made manifest; and what a great manifestation it was and still is! Humanity received the greatest gift of all time - Christ Jesus the LORD! Just absolutely incomprehensible! Magnificent! Glorious! Wonderful! Waw! Magnanimous, eh?
This is so beautiful. God the almighty took time to be Silent. And I am forever grateful that after His period of silence, the most excellent gift was made manifest. Thank you Father! Thank you for Jesus Christ; my LORD, my King, my Rock, my Redeemer, my Saviour, my all in all! Hallelujah.
Well then, what forms of silence are we talking about here?
A couple of them,..
Quietness
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel;.......in quietness and confidence shall be your strength..." Isaiah 30:15.
It is always a good thing to take time to ponder and reflect on life and especially the purpose of which you are living in the first place. This moments should be very sacred to you and worth all the time, the effort & opportunity you accord it, but first, you have to make time for it.
As the above scripture suggests; '...in quietness and confidence, shall be your strength...', if you truly take time to be quiet and confidently assess yourself by God's grace, you will find that you continuously increase in strength - emotionally, mentally and intellectually, you will grow to love and cherish those quiet moments and there will be a form of poise, calm and collected disposition that will be evident in your character. You will further develop your imaginative faculty and sharpen your cutting edge. Just remember to always invite the Holy Spirit to overshadow you in your moments of silence.
There is that quiet place where we hear from God, yearn for it with all your heart and never leave it when you find it (return to it everyday). It is available for each and every body.
For some of us however, this moments of quietness are more like a luxury; it's simply too expensive to afford it! Responsibilities, deadlines, and all sorts of stuff seem to always raise their heads up for attention at all times, and we always find ourselves dragged and often falling short of time for ourselves. What a shame! However, I have got news for you, buddy.
All of us have 24 hours in a day, no more, no less; from the richest man alive today to the poorest man alive today, all get a fresh allocation of 24 hours daily.
How each of us uses this 24 hours, is where the vast difference in life comes in. A lot of people spend their time doing urgent things while altogether neglecting the important things. Urgency does not necessarily mean importance, that is why taking time to be quiet will help you Identify what is important visa vee what is urgent and then spend a great chunk of your 24 hours doing those important things first. The difference will be enormous. I know so.
You should spend time regenerating your intellect and purifying your soul, nourish your soul with knowledge. It is important to take time to reflect on and be thankful for some of the gifts we may have taken for granted, the things that really matter in life.
That is why it is important to find some time to be alone(Could be an hour, two etc), it is up to you, how much time you allocate to it, the important thing is that you find some time to be alone and have moments of reflection, contemplation, planning & execution(Decision). It's your call.
I am well a ware that this is easy said than done, I am under no illusion that the evil one will try to rob you of this very wonderful practice and I know why,....and you have to hear this very clearly...
It is called the Vice of Talkativeness. Yes, Talkativeness, we are all prone to it.
Expel from yourself the spirit of talkativeness. For in it lurk the most dreadful passions: lying, loose speech, absurd chatter, buffoonery, obscenity.
To put the matter succinctly, through talkativeness, you will not escape sin, "In the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin: but he who refraineth his lips is wise" Proverbs 10:19
Whereas on the other hand, when you take time to be quiet, you will be exercising prudence and a prudent man is a throne of perceptiveness; "A prudent man concealeth knowledge,: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness" Proverbs 12:23
Apostle Paul was well aware of this fact, that he gave young Timothy these advise: "...shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" 2Timothy 2:16
It is wise advise, I choose to follow it as well, how about you?
Moreover, the Lord Jesus said that we shall have to give account of every idle word that you speak(Matthew 12:36)
Thus Silence is most necessary and profitable.
Besides taking time alone to be quiet, you can also be silent as a group by going for a retreat(call it a prayer retreat, business retreat, etc).
Necessary withdrawal is also a form of silence. You deliberately withdraw yourself from the crowd for some time. Jesus did this with the disciples; "And He said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into the desert place, and rest a while" Mark 6:31.
If the master recommended it, it is definitely a good thing.
Let me close with this remark:
Take one day at a time, today is here and it's yours to do whatever you want with it, it's all you've got, make it count, make it worth living. Spend your time wisely, it waits for nobody. 10, 20 years from today, what will be your story?....
You decide that now, with how you spend your time everyday. It is your day after all.
However, here is my suggestion if you don't mind; take time to be quiet, at least an hour or so in a day, I am sure you can afford at least an hour, and you will be glad you did it.
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen"
Peace & Love
Libs
