Get with God in silence
Why was quiet and solitude so central for Jesus and why does he instruct us to live likewise? Tim Alford explored the power of silence in a world of noise.
In 2007 a digital revolution began. The first iPhone launched, closely followed by Facebook and Android.
Within ten years we had Kindle, Twitter, the Cloud, the App Store and more and, ever since, our lives have revolved around smartphones, apps and the internet.
But with this revolution came major threats, which Tim Alford explored at Limitless Festival. We have become distracted and addicted to our devices, he says, with apps designed to consume as much time and attention as possible.
“We find ourselves hooked into a world of constant stimulation and ceaseless noise. This total absence of quiet has worrying consequences.
“As our digital consumption increases, so does our susceptibility to mental health issues. We’re becoming more distracted and less able to focus, with attention spans now at a record low of eight seconds.”
It poses a big risk to our spiritual lives too.
“The greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism but distraction,” says Tim.
According to CS Lewis, “the way the enemy will rob you of a dynamic life with God is to make your life as noisy as possible and prevent you from ever entering into silence.
“If you want to step into the abundant life that Jesus came to give you, you must learn how to fight the noise and distraction and regularly get alone with God in silence.”
This is a lifestyle Jesus modelled, beginning with 40 days in the desert then regular prayer in solitary places throughout his ministry.
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