Today’s Hottest Commodity
What is the most valuable and most underrated commodity of our generation? What is the most priceless gift in 2024? What is missing from our lives, and we don’t even know it? What holds the most treasure for our hearts and minds but holds little to no value in today’s culture?
Silence.
We live in a society that feels the pressure to be and do. We live in a period in history known as the “Information Age.” We have more information at our fingertips than any generation on the planet before us. We live in a fast-paced race for knowledge, skill, and ability. We have streamlines of information through television, radio, phones, and computers. It’s constantly all around us.
As an avid reader myself and one who enjoys learning and loves the opportunities to be self-taught on many subjects thanks to YouTube, Chat GPT, etc., it is easy to miss the need for silence. It is easy to dismiss silence as unnecessary or a waste of time or even seen as laziness for all the driver types out there.
Growing up in a house that always had the television on and/or radio, when I got married and had children, I deliberately put the television in the basement. I didn’t want the television to be the focal point of our household. Also, during this time of motherhood, I became intentional about my time, especially my minutes. I became very aware of all the little time wasters in a day. Things such as junk mail, ad magazines, and at times television. I was vigilant to make the most of my time. I have only become increasingly aware of these things that try to distract me. I try to make the most of my time so that I can make the most with my family and friends. I’m going to show my age here, but all of this was even before social media was a thing. I tried to put off social media as long as I could.
I remember realizing the things that tried to bombard me and fight for my time and my peace. We are constantly surrounded by radio, TV, and billboards. Our brains are constantly pulled in so many directions on any given day. When we have kiddos, it can be constant noise as well. Adorable noise that we love, yes. But it’s still noise. Now add social media to that mix and it’s an even greater responsibility to be diligent of our time. I distinctly remember a day I pulled up for gasoline. I got out of my car started to fill up the tank and a television screen appeared and started giving me information. UGH! I was so annoyed. I couldn’t even get gasoline in peace and have 5 minutes to myself.
Since that day I became heightened to the radio, television, and noise all around us. Noise is on at the car service centers, the grocery stores, and the malls. I often wonder what it must’ve been like back in the day before radio and television and all the technology we have today. How much time was available to think and reflect on the world around us? I’m not jealous of much from the generations before me but this “silence” thing really gets to me.
I have always liked and needed some quiet time. It’s how I’m wired naturally. I love to think and/or just converse with God. I am a person who likes to reflect on the day as well. I know some of you get what I’m saying. My family teases me about the number of times they walk into a room and just see me sitting, staring off, doing nothing. However, little do they know so much is being accomplished in those moments. LOL! It is a great time for creativity and gives birth to new ideas!
I love to read books and devour podcasts or learn new subjects on YouTube. Any free time I have is filled with doing and learning more. I especially look forward to a good road trip because I know I can conquer an entire
book or several podcasts. I travel to Virginia frequently to visit family. I went alone when my kids were in college. Sometimes I listen to music and just think. On one trip I recall I listened to “The Blessing” and “Goodness of God” for hours on repeat as loud as I could stand it. And boy did His presence fill the car!
A few months ago, I was gearing up for another 4-hour road trip one way to Virginia, alone. I was excited to be able to listen to a new Audible book. I knew I could finish it within the 8-hour round trip. However, this year God has been calling me away to sit in silence more and more. I felt the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart to sit in silence the entire trip down and back. Whoa! “For four hours LORD?” and “How about at least some instrumental music?” I gave a bit of a pushback at first. I was thinking what a waste and how much I could accomplish in this amount of time. This may have been the most amount of time I sat still in silence forever or for as long as I could remember. Then I realized what I was saying. What could be better than just sitting silent, alone with God, in His presence? I don’t mean praying either. I mean sitting silent. Being still. Doing NOTHING!
Yes, it was weird at first. Silencing my thoughts. Forcing myself to focus on Him. Was He going to speak to me? What did He want to tell me I wondered? Is there another Pandemic He wants to warn me of? I mean maybe He was trying to warn me in 2019 or 2020 but I wasn’t silent enough to hear Him. I mean come on. Isn’t this how we all think ladies?
I sat in silence the entire 8-hour round trip. No, nothing amazing happened. I didn’t even hear Him speak anything to my heart. We just sat alone together in complete silence. If you’ve been married for any length of time, it’s what we do as married couples. No words need to be said. We just enjoy each other’s company, alone, quiet with no agenda. It felt just like that. And I was ok with that. I did enjoy it! It’s training my mind to “Be still.” It’s a change in mindset to “Be still and know that I am God.”
I am treasuring my time of silence. I am silent on purpose for a purpose. He is calling me to embrace the silence. To enjoy the silence. I do believe He desires to speak to us all. However, are we creating this space for Him to do whatever He wants? I don’t believe He’s going to yell, and I don’t think He wants to compete with the noise or any other distractions in our lives. I don’t believe He wants to yell above all the noise, although at times He can and will. But the question to myself is do I desire Him enough to be counter-cultural and make a space of silence so He can speak to me with a still small voice? Or how badly do I want to hear Him?
Still - A mental state of infinite peace, rest, and tranquility where man's senses are hushed and he abides in God. A state of freedom from storm or disturbance. Calm, quiet, not moving or making a sound, deep silence
Synonyms: calmness, hush, serenity, tranquility, calm, inaction, lull, noiselessness, peace, quiet,
"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.“ Psalms 37:7
Meditate - think deeply or focus one's mind for some time, in silence or with the aid of chanting for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation, to think deeply or carefully about something.
Synonyms: contemplate, think about, consider, ponder, cogitate, muse, revolve, weigh up, reflect, deliberate, chew over, ruminate, digest, pore over, mull over, engage in contemplation, be in a thoughtful state, be lost in thought, debate with oneself, put on one's thinking cap
”I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalms 77:12
”Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. “ Joshua 1:8
”May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.“ Psalms 19:14
Not only do we need silence to think for ourselves and go against the grain of what our society is feeding us and telling us what to think but we need silence to hear Him! One of the biggest ways and missed opportunities of silence is creating space to meditate on His Word. In a world that is warring for our time and our headspace, it’s important to recognize the hot commodity of silence now more than ever! Maybe God is calling you to a time of more focused silence. Take the challenge and let’s walk in obedience together! We got this!
Remember ladies, (as I always say) life is full of seasons. It’s important to know what season you’re in. Be gracious to yourself if you are in a season where this may be tough! Or maybe you are not called to increased silence and should have less. Know that too! LOL!
I love you!
Love,
Janelle