Finding Quiet In A Loud World

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The world is getting louder. There are too many cooks, too many hands and too many pies baking all at once. For this reason, finding quiet time to reflect becomes a necessity. Otherwise, what you get is information overload or you end up feeling overwhelmed. So, how can you find some quiet in the midst of a loud world? The answer lies in the Bible, in the book of Luke 5:15-16. The Bible says that when Jesus' fame grew due to healing the sick and performing miracles,

'The news about Jesus spread...large crowds gathered to hear him and have their diseases cured. But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.' 
- Luke 5:15-16, God's Word -

Jesus had large crowds of people seeking after him and needing his attention, yet what did he do? He focused on the most important thing of all, his sustenance. Which was simply to do the will of God. That was why Jesus came to earth and that was what he focused his attention on. He couldn't afford to let the demands of life take his attention away from what mattered most. That was why Jesus himself said this in the book of John 4:34,

"My food...“is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
John 4:34 — New International Version (2011) (NIV)

Who was Jesus referring to? He was referring to God and the work God sent him to do. Why did Jesus use food to illustrate his mission? He used food because the sole purpose of food is to keep us alive and what kept Jesus going was his calling to do God's will. That is, to be crucified for mankind. Therefore, anything else he gave his attention to was solely in relation to that.

And we too can take a leaf from Jesus' book by asking if what we are doing is purposeful or adding value to our lives. This is because not everything that we consider good is beneficial for us.  It's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:23

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 10:23 — New Living Translation (NLT)

It may look like things are turning out for the better. Especially now we have several  communication platforms to voice our opinions. But when we are all talking at once, who is doing the listening?

Aside from eternity, we can't all be headed in the same direction, it's why God made us humans diverse. Even the human body has many diverse parts all working together for the common good of the body.  However no one part of the body is more important than the other. For the body to perform at its best, all parts of the body must play their own part and it's the same with the human race. The Bible explains it this way in 1 Corinthians 12:21–25,

The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honourable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.
1 Corinthians 12:21–25 — New Living Translation (NLT)

In a loud world, everything is packaged or presented to look a certain way. To the point that anything that doesn't fit that package is dismissed or shoved aside. Many colours make a rainbow and in order to truly thrive in the world, we must unapologetically be ourselves.

For a Messiah, Jesus wasn't packaged the way the world expected. Jesus was a humble Carpenter and was born in a manger. But that didn't stop him from being the Messiah did it? Jesus was later surrounded by the noise of fame and the noise from the demands of life. All this happened at the height of his mission, but he kept focused by taking time away from the noise to spend time with God the Father. 

Why? Apart from gaining clarity, one of the key benefits of spending time alone with God is 'Peace'. The Bible says this about what God does when we shift our focus to him:

You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Admittedly finding time away can be difficult for some. But it can be as simple as sneaking to the quiet space of an unoccupied bathroom, taking a short walk, conversing with the Lord as you commute through and from work. It doesn't matter how long or short your quiet escape is, what matters is that you get a break from the noise to gain some clarity. 

So, when the world gets louder, shift your focus to God, giving him your undivided attention and he will in turn give you peace. Not just peace, but he will give you the positive perspective you need to reclaim your place in the earthly space God has allotted to you wisely.  Think about it!