Silence is not just the absence of noise.

It has its own integral and inalienable character, power and energy.

Everything that’s beautiful, lasting and meaningful is created out of silence.

Nothing beautiful or lasting or meaningful can be created without the creator first observing and honouring some degree of silence.

Music to be inspiring music needs silence.

Poetry to be poetry needs silence.

Moments of silence are integral to any good conversation.

Performing artists and athletes surrender to brief moments of silence just prior to their performance.

The deep part of us where God lives is accessed by silence.

This is why silence is the best preparation for any form of prayer. 

Not All Silences are the Same

Difficult silences

• The calm before a storm
• Waiting for your job interview results
• The cold shoulder someone can give you in social situations
• Checking your bank balance
• Waiting for news of an ill loved one

Nurturing silences

• Rain falling
• Leaves blowing in the autumn breeze
• Chirping of birds
• Snow drops falling on the ground
• Knitting
• Painting a picture
• Visiting an art museum or large church or cathedral

But when you establish a practice of honouring silence in your daily routine, you can learn to make even difficult silences nurturing.

The Choice is Yours and Mine to Make

We can live our entire lives with constant talking, texting, and tweeting.

But if you want to

• Create a reservoir of silence deep inside you where God resides 24/7

• GET RID OF, TAME, EDUCATE, and HEAL your negative, afflictive emotions e. g. anger, jealousy, apathy(fixation on your ‘misery’), resentment, never ending, grief, (the emotion that responds with sorrow when something we want is taken away)

• Avoid the unnecessary suffering which they cause you and those dear to you

• De-stress your mind, body, and spirit

• Establish a truly close friendship with and connection to God

• Improve the quality of your prayer

• Improve the quality of your life and the lives of your spouse/ children/ grandchildren

• LOVE God, yourself, and others (including those who wound or harm you!) with an unconditional, no-strings-attached, deep, and lasting love

• Help avoid the destruction of our world and civilization due to the rapid increase of violence in both word and action

…you need to learn to honour silence!

Your Afflictive Emotions Can Lead to Violence, Both Hidden and Expressed

From very early childhood, every human being is beset with negative emotions (sometimes called ‘afflictive’ emotions).

But here’s the thing.

If you and I want to have a family, community, neighbourhood, church congregation, and world worth living in, we have to have a way of healing them.

We must choose between speaking and acting with LOVE or speaking and acting with VIOLENCE.

You see, if left untended, your negative emotions will remain in the driver seat of your life. They will eventually lead you to speak with violence and to act with violence.

Violence damages not only those to whom we direct it, but ourselves.  

Whether we keep it hidden darkly within us or express it openly, violence is deeply destructive to the individuals, families, communities, and nations who are on its receiving end.

Above all, it gets in the way of our close connection with God.

Silence in God’s Presence is a Critical Part of Healing Your Negative Emotions

We need God’s help.

Our will is too weak to do heal our afflictive emotions by ourselves.  

And we get God’s help best by spending silent time in His presence and experiencing FIRSTHAND His love and peace and joy.

You see, it’s KNOWING THAT YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD without ANY conditions that has the power needed to HEAL your negative emotions.

This is how you avoid the unnecessary suffering they inevitably cause not just you but others.

This is how you and I avoid inflicting our own suffering on our families, communities, work places, and wider world.

Note:

Thinking that God loves you is not the same as knowing that He does!!

Silence in God’s presence enables you to KNOW that God loves YOU. This is a form of knowing that goes beyond mere mental analysis!

As one of the foremost teachers of contemplative prayer, the late Thomas Keating, said:

‘Silence is God’s first language.’

Expert medical help, when needed, can build to great effect on this strong spiritual foundation of knowing that we are LOVED.  

The Benefits of Forming a HABIT of Brief Periods of Silence

Scientists tell us that when we form a particular habit of behaviour, negative or positive, we are assured of repeating this behaviour more effortlessly. Over time, say scientists, the likelihood of our continuing to repeat a particular behaviour grows.

Each one of us, therefore, can choose to honour at least some degree of silence in our everyday life. Each one of us can learn to incorporate brief periods of silence into our daily routine.

The good news is that forming a habit of silence is well within your grasp.

Silence in God’s Presence Overcomes Human Differences and Division

When people who differ on religious matters can be silent together in God’s presence, their human differences and divisions are overcome, including the religious divisions among us Christian women.

Yes, distinctions remain; but we experience unity despite them, because our experience of the silence where God dwells is deeper than our experience of the divisions. The Enemy’s spirit of divisiveness is forced to flee when in the presence of God! Try it!

Silence Also Brings MEANING to All Our Life Experiences

Your life is made up of a series of life experiences.

You need to find meaning in these experiences.

And you can.

But this requires a quieted mind.

Silence spent in God’s presence gradually brings meaning to any life experience, whether joyful or traumatic.

As one teacher of contemplative prayer put it:

‘Silence becomes a presence.’

It’s finding meaning that heals us.

I proved this to be true during my 2 experiences of persistent, highly-organized evil, Being silent with God for a few minutes each day was the decisive turning point in my path to healing and victory. Gradually, my confusion was resolved and the meaning of my suffering emerged.

Silence Brings You Freedom

Silence brings you FREEDOM.

With the regular practice of silence, the power of your inner mental chatter, and the negative emotions which this endless chatter exacerbates, subsides. It stops driving your life.

You become FREE to choose how you’ll handle divisive situations. You discover the unquestioned value of a balanced response rather than an emotional reaction!

You’ll become the witness of your negative thoughts and emotions rather than their victim.

You’ll be far less judgmental both of yourself and others.

You’ll be a much better, more patient, more compassionate listener.

You’ll help our world and civilization to avoid destroying itself.

Discover 12 Simple Ways to Bring Silence into Your Everyday Routine

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