Be Quiet

In his excellent book, God in the Whirlwind, David Wells warns that:

“If we are not self-directed, we will be tumbled along by our culture. And that is when we will lose our ability to reflect on the deeper issues of life. Without this ability to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, and to evaluate, we begin to lose touch with the God who has called us to know him”

I can't think of a better way to describe this unique challenge for 21st century American Christians. It seems as though a big part of the fabric of our culture is to be busy, busy, busy. And this is not just for those of us who are dealing with jobs, bills, and car seats, but it affects students as well. Teenagers often get a bad rap in our society as lazy, video game loving, do-nothings (much of which is deserved), but this stereotype overlooks the fact that the average teen is really quite busy with productive activities like school, homework, sports, clubs, chores, jobs, and social activities. And of course, don't forget the nagging pull of social media, TV, and a hundred and one other forms of technological gadgetry. Now, for a Christian student, add to all this the endless list of church services, Bible studies, and youth activities, and you start to get the idea of what we're talking about.

What students (and all of us, for that matter) need on a regular basis is some time "to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, and to evaluate" and of course, all of this is to be done in light of God's word and through prayer. What we need is what many of us like to call "quiet time" when all distractions are laid aside, our Bibles are open, and our minds are clear to focus upon communing with the Lord. But as Wells notes, this does not just happen; it takes self-direction. And in my many years as a youth pastor, this is always the sticking point. I often feel like a cowboy with a cattle prod, looking for fresh new ways to motivate students to have their "quiet time." As I have "prodded" the students who sit across from me, I have recognized more and more my own wrong thinking about quiet time which has led me to develop some insights into some of the challenges that face all of us in this regard, along with some (hopefully) helpful tips for how to have a regular, meaningful part of the day to "be quiet."

Growing up in the desert I saw a lot of tumbleweeds, so I get a familiar visual when David Wells uses the term "tumble." In the same way tumbleweeds are blown whichever way the wind carries them, we 21st century American Christians are led about from one distraction to another...unless we're "self-directed," which a nice way of saying "self-disciplined." In other words, if you don't discipline yourself, you're at the mercy of life's distractions, and therefore the chances that you'll have a consistent quiet time (or even one at all) are pretty slim.

Wells is on to something here that is biblical. In fact, it's exactly what Paul told young Timothy:

"discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (NASB). That word "discipline" or "train" (ESV) is where we get our English word gymnasium. It was a term used of athletes and it meant to run or train unhindered. Just as sports are popular in our day, the Greek games were a hit in Paul's, and so he used athletic terminology to illustrate aspects of the Christian life. Several times he spoke of the Christian life as a race, and here he tells Timothy (and us by implication) that if we're going to grow in Christ-likeness, it is going to take some spiritual sweat! We all understand how hard professional athletes work. They train relentlessly to be the best they can be, and this obviously takes discipline. They have rigorous routines which demand focus and sacrifice. This is the picture Paul is painting for us when it comes to the Christian life. He's saying, "give it all you've got in order to be more like Christ!" If we were honest, the fact of the matter is that we typically give it our leftovers - after the distractions of life have drained us dry.

So what is the first step in having a consistent and productive quiet time? Get disciplined! Yes, it's really that simple. Set a time. Set a place. And then discipline yourself to make it happen. Of course, there's more to it than that. But it's the place to start.