Is “Fast Glory” an Oxymoron?

 Categories : A Culture of Listening

 

What’s the fastest path to experiencing more of God’s glory, and becoming one with Him and like Him?

Wait a second. Do “fast” and “glory” even belong in the same sentence?  

Actually, yes.

When it comes to God’s glory, fasting is the most reliable way to experience more of it. Fasting is not about deprivation. It’s all about making room for more of what you really want.

its not about deprivation

And I’m not talking about fasting from food. The surest path to experiencing more of God’s glory is to shut it off. All of it. Every device that accompanies you through your day.

 

Silence not only makes room for God’s glory, it’s healing and energizing in itself.

 

I’m convinced that Yeshua communicated as much through silence as He did through words.

 

And because He understood that what you don’t say is as powerful as what you do say, He taught in parables. Parables don’t reveal the whole story. This forced people to chew on His ideas. Those who were curious kept pursuing Him and seeking truth, and those who weren’t eventually gave up. Yeshua didn’t protect people from uncomfortable silence, or from the hard work of wrestling with truth.

 

If you want to experience more of God’s glory, you need to be comfortable with silence. He is the ultimate example of this. If Yeshua cultivated silence to connect with His Father, how much more do we need that silence and that connection?

 

Many of us are accustomed to constant sensory overload. We subconsciously seek out background noise to accompany us throughout the day. And I’m not just talking about “bad” noise. Ironically, even worship music can numb us and prevent us from experiencing God’s glory. But it’s not too late to rediscover the power of silence.

 

So here’s my challenge for you:

  • Go on a “noise fast” for at least 24 hours. Interact with people as you normally would, but eliminate any sensory stimuli you can turn off. What do you notice that you might not have otherwise? Unplugging may take some planning, but I promise it’s worth it.

 

  • If you don’t already, try taking 5 minutes a day alone with God in silence. Ask Him to reveal whatever He chooses, and then wait. Write down anything He brings to your mind so you can compare it with scripture or share it with a discerning friend.

 

If you’re ready to listen to Him with your whole self, and you’d like some encouragement and accountability, you’re welcome to join us in a free seven day Facebook challenge. You can sign up right below this post.

 

How comfortable are you spending time alone with God in silence?



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Facebook Comments
  • Tim Truesdale

    Another great post, friend. Once I truly give myself permission to go silent before God, I find the most intimate unhurried togetherness with Him. Its not just a quieting of the soul unto rest…I find God always goes over the top in rewarding me with a sense of the sweetest connection. Which is all I really want anyway…

    • mlekallio

      I love how you describe this…there’s the kind of ease that we experience with close friends, but yet, there’s a sense of mystery.

  • http://Hannahkallio.org Melinda

    There truly is power in silence! So many things are better left unsaid, so many things are better left unplugged! Silence, handled deftly, can be deafening;). So often an uncomfortable silence is exactly what we need. Great thoughts, Hannah. I’m both convicted and confirmed:). Lord let me be quick to listen and slow to speak, and fill my heart and mind with Your presence in the quiet times we share:)

    • mlekallio

      Amen, Melinda! You’re right, even discomfort can be healing, especially if we let Him into it.

  • Gabriela

    I love redeeming time in silence, it’s a great way to recalibrate my heart and mind.
    Thanks for writing on this point, Hannah I think it’s vital for us.

    Xox

    • mlekallio

      Recalibrate…that’s it! It makes me think of tuning instruments. Erik’s guitar stays in tune fairly well, but my mandolin tends to ‘drift’. It doesn’t take long to tune it, but it’s very hard to do when there’s a lot of background noise. Thanks for that insight.

  • http://www.christianworkingmama.blogspot.com Liz Jones

    I LOVE silence. It’s hard to grab ahold of it in a house with three loud boys and a hubby who grew up with TV on ALL THE TIME:) But I find the quiet in my car on my way to work to be sacred for me. I used to constantly listen to the radio- Christian radio- but I found that I would get to work and not feel ready. I was not attending to a need to connect with God for a good stretch of silent time. Most days I have at least 15 -30 minutes in the car. I CHERISH it.

    • Dori McCormick

      Interesting, I fell into this habit reently, too …. turned off the radio to just connect with God for those few precious moments. I just had someone come stay with me for a couple of weeks and I was sitting here thinking “I can’t play my praise music all the time” … I will try to dwell in the silence — fill with the sounds of bird, and the breeze … thank you for this prompting.

      • mlekallio

        Dori, I like your observation about how turning off the man-made noise doesn’t mean there’s no sound at all. Sometimes God fills the silence with noises He created, and they can be so life giving.

    • mlekallio

      Liz, I relate to the challenge of finding times of silence in my days especially in a lively household. And like you, I found that (as much as I love worship music) I had to shut off the radio to really connect. The only drawback to the car for me is that I can’t write down what I’m sensing from God while I’m driving. When and where do you take quiet time to write?

  • Janine

    I have been incredibly scared of time alone with God. But just this summer I had a stint of 5 minutes every morning before the kiddies got up to be in silence. It was beautiful and really set off my day for success. I have been missing it for the the last few weeks and it shows in so many ugly ways. I want it back!

    • mlekallio

      Janine, One of the most powerful things about the success you had this Summer is that you won’t easily settle for less going forward. You will find a way to reclaim that time.