This morning after everyone left and a holy hush fell over the house, I considered the word “quiet.” How it’s ironic that I need quiet in my outer world, yet struggle to pursue and receive quiet in my inner world.
I paused my own thoughts as I read a devotional. Today’s passage was one in which Jesus encounters a man outside the synagogue possessed with an evil spirit. He doesn’t wrestle the man to the ground or speak an incantation or even quote scripture. Jesus simply opens his mouth and says to the loud spirit, “Be quiet.” (Mark 1:25)
Naturally, I paid attention, zeroing in on the word “quiet” that had already been rolling around in my mind. I opened a lexicon and saw that this word here literally means “to muzzle, to put to silence.”
It felt like a timely word for me. Perhaps for you too? We need “quiet” as a verb as much as we need it as a noun.
What voices of authority does Jesus want to quiet in my own life? What voices are smothering his authority? What voices undermine the life-giving authority he’s entrusted me with as a child of God?
More than ever, our world clamors with voices and viewpoints. With loud and angry opinions. With subtle and seductive influencers. With pride and self-righteousness cloaked in causes.
As someone who’s allowed far too much input in the name of being informed and educated, or perhaps just to numb and escape, my mind is anything but quiet. Rather, it’s a cacophony of voices that haven’t earned an ounce of authority to speak into my life.
No wonder I have a headache.
No wonder I’ve struggled to find my own words even though I have a million thoughts a minute.
At the start of a new week and a new season:
Let’s invite Jesus to muzzle the many voices that distract, confuse, paralyze, and unduly influence.
Let’s pursue a necessary pruning, taking steps to ruthlessly reset our input boundaries.
Let’s pray for a sacred quieting so that we can hear His voice above all others.
And out of this quiet, may we humbly yet boldly use our own God-given voices for others’ good and for his glory.
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I’m joining a 5-day writing challenge on Instagram with @hopewriters. Today’s prompt is QUIET.
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