Day 10: Listening and Speaking

As space and silence open up in your life, what can you hear that you couldn’t before? As my life became quieter, I was shocked by all the previously unnoticed things I could hear. Our appliances hummed. My heart beat. (Thank goodness.) A car alarm went off several streets over. Without the constant rush and clamor of podcasts and Pandora, frenetic activity and fast-paced scheduling, for the first time in decades I could hear. And not just ambient noise, either. I could hear myself. I could hear my kids. I could hear God. I’m willing to bet you’ve begun to hear more, too. 

Holy whispers abound when we begin conversing with God on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis, bringing Him into our struggles, offering up our sadness, remembering that He is the source of all our joy. Let us tune in and talk back, reveling in holy whispers that will grow easier to hear as our ears become ever more attuned.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Read the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:3–18. What is the significance of God speaking to Elijah in a gentle whisper? What does it teach us about how the Holy Spirit might speak to us today?
2. What are the primary sources of noise in your life? How do they make it more difficult for you to hear the gentle whisper of God?
3. Much to our surprise, God frequently meets us with encouragement and love rather than sternness or confrontation. Yet that’s often how God greets us—“first with words of courage or kindness. Do not fear, I am with you. You are mine. Even when we sin…God usually begins calling us back with words of invitation, not condemnation.” Do you ever find yourself avoiding silence or time with God because you fear condemnation? What does the fact that God often meets us first with words of courage or kindness teach us about Him?
4. One of the changes uncluttering brought to the author was embracing the silences in the “in-between” moments—times like waiting in a grocery store checkout line or riding in a car. Describe some of the regular “in-between” moments in your life. How can choosing silence instead of noise in these moments help you tune in to the voice and work of God?
5. Read James 5:13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18. What relationship does silence have to prayer in Scripture? In your life? What is one time in your schedule when you can practice the discipline of silence this week?