Busyness is all around us; cluttering our life and thought process as though it belongs. Pressuring us to hurry instead of being still. Life can almost feel like a siren; repetitious, loud, and making it hard for us to think clearly. How much of this is warranted, and how much of this is unnecessary? God is so gracious. Sometimes we are the Martha’s of the world, striving to achieve our own “self-validation”, while God is saying, “Come sit next to me. Rest with me, because you are my beloved. I loved you when you were the vilest of sinners, and I love you now.”

What’s causing us to run, when the person we are trying to please is telling us to be still?

The other day, one of my children had a cold that I was taking care of in the bathroom… There was a commotion happening the other room between two of my other children, so I called to the older child.

What’s happening in there?

No response.

What’s happening in there?

Legos start to rustle louder and … LOUDER.

I start seeing a pattern.

I go to the toy room.

Why didn’t you respond when momma called you?

I didn’t hear you.

The voice of the one we love, is not always heard, when we allow noise to barrage our thoughts.

What is noise?

The words of a parent to a child are substantial, but even greater is the holder of our soul who is willing to commune with us. Yet, our aching heart denies us this privilege, replacing this opportunity with lesser things… pain, self, sin, and fears have become idols in our heart and established a throne that has consumed our time.

Would you hear God if he talked? Would you listen if the words were not what you wanted to hear?

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

As a child covers their ears and repeats a loud, repetitious sound to avoid hearing, many adults act like this too; filling their lives with white noise. Falling victim to societal’s acceptable norm of not having to process the deeper things of life. By consuming what little time we have with too much entertainment, “self-gratification”, countless commitments, over indulging, excessive work, clutter, and unnecessary stuff. These distractions can make you want to recoil, with the understanding… it’s stealing your purpose, because our life was never meant for just our own self interests. (Isaiah 43:7) Sometimes we don’t even realize how consumed we are, until we step back… be present with God and listen. What is breathing value in the small hours of our day?

But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes 9:4

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Many years ago, my husband broke his leg. He saw two doctors. The first claimed he would never be able to play sports the same, and would need pins and rods in his leg. The second looked at the break, and noticed the break wasn’t even set properly. So he proceeded to set the break properly, and wanted to see how it healed first. After the break started to heal, he began going to physical therapy, there was someone in the waiting room who went to the first doctor. They were on their 3rd operation. Yet, Andy was able to recover fully without surgery, with no ill effects to his ability to play sports. We need to allow ourselves to heal properly. We can’t just cover up our brokenness and assume we will function at 100%.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

Perhaps you have allowed yourself to believe the lie that there is no time in the day to hear from God. That is because you have made it that way. We let distractions grow louder and louder until they drown out the voice we need to listen to, as our priorities crumble at our feet. We are drowning, and the biggest deterrent to our growth is… US.

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Psalm 10:4

Listen to His voice. Give God your pain. Allow your heart to feel. Make God first, not last, or interchangeable. Don’t treat God as disposable, because that is how you feel. That’s not God who covered you in that pain. He knows your worth, because He is the one who placed value on you. Stop distracting yourself with everything but the things of value, and prepare your heart, to listen and go where God sends you.

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Psalm 36:5

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27