Control Freak?!Sample

Volume

The volume button is another one that causes division in our house! I like it set at precisely 30 (who are you calling a control freak?!). My husband and daughter prefer the range of approx 55-60. Outrageous. When I arrive home to this level of sound blasting from the box I start ranting and saying ridiculous things like “you could hear that from Mars” etc.

Getting the sound levels right is vitally important. If it’s too loud it’s overstimulating and grates on me. This is how I feel when my life feels too loud - or to put it another way, too busy. I feel stressed and like I can’t focus properly, because of all of the noise and distraction coming from all angles. Each one of us has different volume levels suited to us and we need to find a good balance for our personal life circumstances. Perhaps some periods of our lives will be louder, and other times we need quieter times, it’s important to discern which is right for the season we are in.

Introverts may well need more ‘turn it down’ moments, and extroverts may want to ‘crank it up a notch’ more often. There’s no right or wrong, we have to find the volume level that fits our personality too.

Having said that, one thing I feel that God keeps highlighting to me is the importance of times of silence and solitude before him. Regardless of our personality type I believe this is key in our spiritual growth. In the busyness of our days, do we take time to be with him and listen to his voice? Perhaps we all need to utilise the mute button much more than we currently do. It’s a challenge I feel I need to embrace - I want to recognise his voice above all of the noise life throws at me.

Reflection - Is your life feeling too loud? Evaluate your commitments and ask God to highlight anything that’s adding too much stress or pressure. In what ways can you turn down the volume or use the mute button more often?

Prayer - God, help me to get the volume settings right for my life. I want to serve you well and I also recognise I need time to rest and recover and to be quiet before you, to really know you intimately. I want to know your voice and I want to follow you. Amen.