All to Him I Owe

Addictions are not limited to illicit drugs, alcohol, or immorality. Some addictions are subtle, quiet, and often overlooked. For instance, have you ever considered the possibility of being addicted to noise?

This summer one of our interns shared with me that C.S. Lewis described Hell as the “Kingdom of Noise.” It is a place of wailing, screaming, and the licking sounds of flame. There will be no quiet solitude or quiet times of thought in Hell. Satan loves it when we keep our lives full of noise from music, radio, television, conversation, etc., because the more noise that is in our lives, the less we hear of God. An addict is revealed when his substance of choice is withdrawn from him. What happens to you when you are alone in silence? Does the silence make you anxious or distraught? Do you desperately try to fill it with more noise?

One type of noise that we often forget about is the noise of activity. The calendars of our lives are filling up quickly. Some of you have very little empty space on your calendar. One man told me last week, “I know I’m busy; but remember, ‘Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop!'” While that is often true, it is also true that busy hands often make for busy lives that keep us from quietly spending time in God’s workshop-His Word. You probably have many good activities on your calendar that involve family, vacation, and fun. But as you think through the things you are planning to do, please remember this question I’ve asked you often: when does a good thing become a bad thing? A good thing becomes a bad thing when it prevents me from doing the best thing! Don’t let the busyness of good things keep you from the best things!

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Let’s discipline ourselves to be comfortable with stillness and silence. Let’s also discipline ourselves to create silence in our lives. In the still silence, we often hear God’s still, small voice-a voice we desperately need to hear, in order to build a relationship with our Lord. The best things are always the things that truly draw us closer to Him. Don’t let the good things prevent you from the best things.