Too Many Voices
As I was praying last week, I heard, “Silence all digital voices.” Just a few short minutes later I hear, “Eliminate all background noise.” With those few words, I knew exactly what I was being instructed to do. So, for the last week, the only voices I’ve heard are mine, the Father’s, and people that I’ve talked to live.
I was only a few days in when the reality of my daily habits began to reveal just how much I cram into my ear gate on any given day. When I get ready in the morning, I listen to the voices of a podcast. Whenever I’m in my car, I listen to the voices on the radio. When I eat my lunch, I’m listening to the voices on a video. When I’m cooking dinner, I’m listening to the voices on Family Feud. When I’m getting ready for bed, I’m once again listening to the voices on the radio. Sometimes, if I’m trying to wind down before going to sleep, I’m again listening to the voices on yet another video. That’s a lot of external inputs throughout the day, every day, all year long.
Yes, I’m listening to Christian radio and great teaching on podcasts or videos, but it’s still a lot of external voices that I am continuously giving my attention. Just based on how the instruction came to me, I believe the Father sees all this “good stuff” as “background noise.” And what is noise? Any sound that distracts you from hearing. Did you catch that? Noise is any sound that distracts you from hearing!
Most of us would never think of the ongoing worship music or the multiple sermons we listen to every day as noise. So, let me encourage you to put it to the test. Simply ask yourself, “Is any of this I’m listening to about God distracting me from hearing from God?”
If you have ever felt like you’re not hearing from God, one of the first places you may want to start is eliminating all background noise. It’s possible you’re not hearing from Him because you’re listening to too many voices.
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