How to Turn Down the Volume in a Noisy World
Is there a volume button for our noisy world?
Because the noise drowns out my favorite parts of life:
1) Peace and quiet for my spirit.
2) Deep-rooted solitude in my soul.
3) The ability to reflect without distraction.
4) In-person intimacy and heart-felt conversation among my closest friends and family.
I wear a title in my family, AKA “noise manager.” So I send out memos, audible and text, to my people requesting they make adjustments to the loudness.
Turn down the television.
Please lower your voice.
Your music’s too loud.
But sometimes I misplace my own remote control in life. When I find myself smack dab in the middle of the world’s noise—among the clamor and racket—I search for an escape. I even want to run away. But where do I go? How can I rise above the noise…the roar?
Restless in a Noisy World
There’s so much noise tugging at my heart these days. Twirling in my head. The loudness of it all suffocates the quiet.
A gazillion shouting voices. And the words spill out on social media. Rhetoric screams on every street corner.
This is the right path, come this way.
No, listen to us. Our road is the one you want to take.
Ignore the others. We have the answer you’re looking for.
Like the thump of concert speakers, the world’s rhythm is heavy and strong. A rumbling echo replaces the 
noiseless calm.
Searching for a Volume Button
So, I’m thrown into a restless state. And I want to send a memo out to the world. Wishing to do a little shouting of my own from the sidelines.
Enough already! Be quiet! Please!
I search for a volume button to the world…to life. If I could just find it and turn the decimals down as far as they can go…to nothing—no sound, only hush.
Maybe the quiet and calm would come. A stillness my spirit desperately needs.
Silently still—I want to feel it in my bones.
A Quiet Place with Christ
Christ relayed the importance a quiet place to His closest followers. After Christ sent the apostles out for ministry work, they came back with a mission report. “The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught” Mark 6:30 ESV.
Here’s what happened next:
“Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone” Mark 6:31-32 NLT.
But when the crowds saw Christ and the apostles depart, they ran on ahead by foot to the other side of the shore. So the boat ride became the only restful and quiet place to be alone. And to be with Jesus.
Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of our work day, home life with kids and family, ministry, socializing online or attachment to our digital devices, Christ calls us to “rest awhile.” And He extends an invitation. Come, my child. Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place.
Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place. ~ Jesus #noise #faith Share on X
Time alone with Christ. It’s the volume button to turn down a noisy world.
What’s Your Noise Level?
The demands of life and the pull of social media often rob us of quiet, rest or soul-restoring time with Jesus Christ.
Do you find it hard to get away from life’s noise and spend time with Christ?
When you accept the invitation from Jesus and go off to a quiet place with Him, how does it quiet your heart and soul?
Tell us in the comments.
Spending time with #Jesus quiets my heart and soul in a noisy #world. Share on X
Stay tuned for next week’s post, Can I Send a Text Message to God?
© 2017 by Karen Friday, All Rights Reserved
Images are mine, text and design by Adobe Spark
Post part of these link ups: Salt & Light, Crystal Twadell/Fresh Market Friday, Crystal Storms/Heart Encouragement, Meg Gemelli/GRITupAndGo, Suzanne Eller/Living Free.
I can tell you I’m in quiet every day. And I can tell you it’s a blessing to have that time with Jesus. I’m getting closer to heaven in earth years😊 we don’t know when our final day here, will be but the older I get, the more I think about it. I said that to say this…i remember the hectic days children, job, stress of every day life and crazy world. I’d think if only I had some rest. It is important. I will say, even in all the quiet I have now…the noise of our minds can be deafening. The quiet has to come from the inside having a oneness with Christ…then we will hear him say, “Peace, be still. I give my beloved rest.” 💖💋
Yes, Marla, that’s so true! I agree and know our own thoughts can stifle God’s voice and certainly the enemy’s voice will drown out what God has to say to us in that still, quiet place. You’re perspective is good as well. I like this, “The quiet has to come from the inside having oneness with Christ…” Amen. We must be intentional to be still before Him or the world’s noise level only gets louder. Hugs!
Amen 💖
Sometimes I just want to go in a closet somewhere when the noise becomes too loud. There’s noise from my child’s cartoons, there’s noise from the dryer telling me the clothes are ready to be folded, and there’s noise in my head telling me you have deadlines, you have things to do. That is why it is important for us to get away and take a break every now and then whether our husband is happy about it or not. It is good for us and it is good for our sanity.
Yes, Tessa, I agree, getting away is good for a “sound mind.” 🙂 I’m glad there is a place of quiet…a haven for our soul with Jesus. Thanks for commenting!
Karen this post is like – from the depths of my deepest fibers! It has been my struggle and yet my strength; to want to run but also to discern when too much is too much. This post made me nod my head and clap amen. It is the resounding theme of my story and the book I am working on: because I am drawn to quiet, it is harder for me to want to get out into the world. I want to turn on my folk worship and dance alone, or find a water hole instead. lol… Finding that I don’t need to feel guilty about guarding this time with God has been great, and now He is helping me out of those comfort zones too. Thanks for this.
Wow, Meghan, I love how you just expressed your thoughts. It is a wonderful thing to accept the invitation from Christ to spend time with Him. Do guard it with every fiber in your being! Of course, we need a balance, but for type-A personalities like me and social bugs, we can be easily distracted with all the world’s noise. If spending time with Jesus tips your scales more toward Him, bravo! That’ better than the opposite scenario. Praying for your book and you. Blessings! 🙂
Hi Karen,
It has been wry inspirational reading your quotations about the important of God in our lives. I believe in whatever energy we see Him its one and the same and yes I crave to have Him in my life everyday.
I get tired drawn away to the distraction but again solace I only find in Him whenever I revert back to Him in quietness and solitude I feel the guidance and appreciation I receive and hope to carry on. I admit my shallowness before Him I write to Him and He consoles me by giving me hope that I could become better.
Regards
Sometimes I don’t even recognize the noise until it’s quiet. How sad is that. I get so wrapped up in the rhythm of life. I love the quiet space and time with the Lord.
Sheila, I know exactly what you mean…me too. The Lord is teaching me to guard time alone with Him. It’s the only way to turn down the volume of a noisy culture. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
My quiet with Jesus is to spend time walking and talking with him. I live in NYC most of the time so it’s hard, but I also manage to get to the mountains of Colorado and there I find a lot of peace and quiet.
Thanks for commenting, Rachel. I love what you said about living in the city. It reminds me of the focal passage in this post and how the crowds of people stayed with Jesus wherever he went. The mountains are a beautiful place to find the quiet and get away from it all. Yet, no matter our surroundings, Jesus calls. I’m learning to answer more often. Blessings!
I agree, the world is just too noisy sometimes! Taking time to step aside from it all and have some quiet time with God is so important. I don’t always find it easy to step away and turn down the volume but I always benefit from it when I do.
Lesley, I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. So true, it’s hard to be intentional in getting away with Jesus. The enemy most certainly wants to distract us and clutter our lives with all the noise. Blessings!
I don’t always realize how desperate I am for it until I crack. When the boys are in school, I make sure to relish in it every single day. But when they’re home, the house is loud and busy. Unless I get up way early, it doesn’t happen. It’s oxygen!! I need as many reminders to go to that place as I can get! Thanks Karen. Closing the laptop now…
Meg, I like this, “It’s oxygen!!” So true. Christ is our breath and life. Life tugs at us daily, why not be intentional to answer Jesus invitation when He tugs at our heart to spend time with Him.
Amen! I never realized how much I needed quiet until I became a writer. The need was always there, but now it’s intensified because I have become used to it. What once seemed lonely and hard is like a breath of fresh air to me. I do have to turn off social media on the weekends and stay away from my computer to find the deep silence.
Hey Andy, thanks for stopping by and commenting! Yes, meeting that need for quiet and solitude in our soul is a necessary part of our love relationship with Christ. Oh, how I long for it and try to protect it these days. It’s almost as if I can’t function if I don’t have it. Blessings!
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Yes, I find it difficult to turn down the noise. I am on a quest in September to do just that. Thank you for your insights.