The Superior Power of Silence and Solitude For Christian Teens

Are you privvy to the power of silence—or does silence terrify you? Have you ever turned everything off—the radio, the TV, your phone—and simply listened to the air in the room? How did it make you feel?

This topic came to mind yesterday morning when I made the uncharacteristic decision to eschew the usual music and instead exercise with only the hum of the furnace to fill the silence. Maybe that sounds horrendous to you, but something phenomenal happened.

Without the distraction of constant noise, I found myself focusing harder on how my body worked with each movement. I stretched deeper, lifted the weights higher, and held my abs tighter. And when I finished, my muscles felt WORKED.

All because of silence.

Silence: A Creature on the Verge of Extinction

Those who want silence and solitude often have to be mindful about creating it.

How much of your day passes in silence? Thanks to technology, you can listen to a podcast during your morning jog, blast tunes from waterproof Bluetooth speakers while you shower, and fall asleep at night to Bellaruth Naparstek’s Guided Meditations (which, by the way, are amazing). Music plays while you shop. Restaurants have TVs on every wall. And just in case you find yourself in a moment of dreaded quiet, you have your phone to save you. Pings, beeps, ringtones, games, YouTube videos, Facetime sessions—pretty much whatever you need to escape the terror of silence and solitude.

In fact, noise is so prevalent today that those who want silence and solitude often have to be mindful about creating it.

Noise: A Powerful Drug on the Rise

Just as the brain hindered by a foreign substance experiences impaired function, so too noise prevents you from achieving deep mindfulness and full-capacity thinking.

Noise is a powerful drug. It numbs the brain, dulls your senses, and makes you crave more and more until silence becomes the enemy. And just as the brain hindered by a foreign substance experiences impaired function, so too noise prevents you from achieving deep mindfulness and full-capacity thinking. Are you struggling to understand that last sentence? Blame the noise in your life.

Numerous studies show the negative impact of noise—even background noise—on brain activity, learning, memory, and concentration levels. Constant noise leads to increased anxiety, poor memory, difficulty with learning, and increased accidents in the workplace.

Basically, your brain—like the Grinch—is screaming for a break from all the noise, noise, noise!

The Power of Silence and Importance of Solitude For Christian Teens

Sometimes Satan’s best distraction isn’t even something sinful.

For the Christian, noise isn’t just a barrier to comprehension and performance. Noise prevents you from hearing the very voice of God. You can’t meditate on him and his Word when you brain is distracted by the noise of life.

Sometimes Satan’s best distraction isn’t even something sinful.

A Simple (But Not Always Easy) Solution

The solution is simple: turn it off. Turn off the phone, unplug the television, silence the radio. Then listen to the sound of nothing.

What feelings rise to the surface? Does the boredom become unbearable? Do the unpleasant thoughts, memories, and emotions you’ve tried to drown with constant sound suddenly make an unwelcome entrance? 

This is normal. Don’t suppress it. Just feel it. Feel it all. Then allow God the chance to calm your mind because the honest-to-goodness truth is he has made you whole. Guilt and shame have no place in your heart. “Unworthy” no longer describes you. You have no reason to run from your internal demons. Hand them to Jesus and let your brain embrace the calm of silence.

Need some nitty-gritty practical steps for silencing the noise and raising the volume on God’s voice? See my post Turn Down the Volume! How to Hear God’s Voice.

Bible Verses to Meditate on During Moments of Silence

Really, any scripture will work, but these are effective when the silence causes your demons to surface.

The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you.

2 Chronicles 15:2

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

May God meet you in your silence!