(published in the December 2023 Bethel Beacon, newsletter of Salix Bethel United Methodist Church)
“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.” –Matthew 14:23 (NIV)
Recently, at the wedding of a friend, I was reminded of how increasingly noisy our world has become. As the couple’s family and friends sat in the pews, we were waiting for the ceremony to begin. It was a few minutes past start time, and all eyes glanced toward the back of the church, as we eagerly anticipated the bride’s entrance.
For several minutes there was an eerie silence, and I remember thinking how oddly calming it was. Think about it. How long has it been since you were in a public place and there was not one sound…no people talking or whispering, no papers rustling, no feet shuffling, no sniffles, no cell phone alarms….nothing. And how often do we sit still without doing something…anything (watching TV, working, checking our phones)? That’s when it struck me how clangorous and hectic life has become.
Some of the noise is out of our control, but others we choose. I’ll admit I spend many hours per day with noise feeding into my Bluetooth hearing aids. I thoroughly enjoy listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and music throughout the day, while I’m completing various tasks. One might argue we can pay attention to these background noises and at the same time be productive in other endeavors, such as studying, paying bills, and conversing with family and friends. However, studies show that we are not as good at multitasking as we think we are.
Do you feel your life getting busier and noisier every day? Are you doing good things (serving the church, volunteering your time to help others, running to and fro for your children’s extracurricular activities,…)? All of those activities are wonderful, in moderation, but perhaps all of that busyness is keeping you frazzled, distracted, and preventing you from being fully present with your family. Or worse yet, perhaps it’s keeping you from being fully present with Jesus.
We can get so caught up in “doing” that we start to lose touch with God’s desire for us to “be” present with him. When we’re too busy, tired, or distracted with daily affairs, we stop spending one-on-one time with him and experiencing all the peace, love, direction, and discernment he has for us. We might finally sit down to be with him but our mind and heart are not there. Or maybe we rush our time with God, because we see it as an obligation among many obligations.
This absence of quiet connection with God can be especially true at Christmas, when we focus on holiday traditions and completing our massive to-do lists. Christmas is my favorite time of year, so it is easy for me to get caught up in the decorating, shopping, attending all the Christmas concerts and festivities, and making crafts. It can be easy to forget the true reason we are celebrating (Christ’s love for us through the birth of his son) and get caught up in the fun and excitement of the season.
Jesus doesn’t want us only to have fun at Christmas and merely to check time with him off our to-do list, like a visit you don’t necessarily want to make but feel obligated to do so. He wants to be the focus of our attention so that we can praise him and he can bless us. “If a man wants to be used by God, he cannot spend all of his time with people” (A. W. Tozer). After all, “Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32 NIV).
This Christmas I plan to be intentional about showing God my gratitude for all he does for me by making him a priority and spending dedicated quiet time with him without distractions. I will hide my phone, turn off the TV, bow my head, close my eyes, relax my tense muscles, breathe deep, and surrender in his presence. I will be comfortable in the silence and ask God to give me the focus and concentration to be fully present with him right then and there. And I will gain so much in return. As Charles Stanley once said, “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” Praise God!
Dear Loving Father,
Thank you for the birth, life and death of your son for my forgiveness and abundant living. My life would be meaningless without you. Thank you that all of my energy, power and strength comes from you. Help me to be open to all you have to share with me as I spend intentional time with you this Christmas season. I love you!
Amen.
