Everyone has been through difficult times: financial hardship, health crises, relationship strife, work conflict, etcetera. When we face these difficulties, we must go to God because God wants us to cry out to him.
Everyone has been through difficult times: financial hardship, health crises, relationship strife, work conflict, etcetera. I'm no stranger to any of these things. A few years ago, I was being bombarded with one thing after another. First, my lab results showed that the blood work was abnormal. Then, we took a few hard financial hits, draining our bank account. We were going through spiritual warfare as a family and as a couple. I went to him because God wanted me to cry out to him.
I cried.
I poured out my deep emotions to him.
I repented.
I forgave.
I thanked God for hearing from him, and he had one thing to say:
Nothing.
To say I was frustrated with God for not speaking to me during these challenging times would be an understatement. No matter what I did, I did not hear from God. It was as if he had left the building. I often questioned if he was even hearing my cries. I began to feel God didn't care about me or my problems.
But soon, I learned that begging God to hear from him was just another way for me to try to control him. God speaks in his timing, not mine. I also realized that his silence didn't mean he didn't care. It meant he was working on my behalf. Instead of binge-watching my favorite show, doing online retail therapy, or eating unhealthy snacks, I chose to do productive things while I waited for God in silence. I had to trust and know that God would speak, but he would do so when he was ready, not when I told him he was ready.
Here are some ways I learned How to wait for God in the silence:
Serve Others
Through Scripture, Jesus had a close, intimate connection with his Father. Because of this intimate connection, Jesus was able to serve everyone who came across his path. He knew this was part of his ministry, and his father wanted him to do that with his life. In the same way, God wants us to serve others. This is incredibly comforting when waiting for God to speak to us.
Whether it's your local church, a local food pantry, or a clothes closet, there are many ways in which we can serve others, both our brothers and sisters in Christ and those within our community. You can also designate money for specific causes to help those in need. Not only does this help bide my time while I'm waiting for God, but it also helps to calm my fears and deep sadness when I'm going through something difficult, and God is not answering me.
Giving to others helps me take my focus off myself and onto others’ problems. If I dig deep enough, I will find that others have it worse than me. Many people are going through many more difficult trials than I am. Focusing on that helps me keep my perspective that he is always at work. God wants me to serve to help make the world a better place. But when I do, it also increases my compassion and empathy for those around me.
Journal
When I'm waiting for God, it is easy for me to get distracted. Sometimes, I go through the motions of the faith. I read, I pray, and I go to church. Sometimes, I get so focused on trying to hear his voice that I go through the motions and all the other spiritual disciplines. I read the word, but I don't comprehend what it says. I pray but only half-heartedly because I know he won't speak. I attend church, but I'm more distracted by other people or my problems than I am by listening to the message for that week.
When I find my mental health is draining, I journal. Journaling helps me focus on my feelings and emotions. Because my feelings and emotions can overtake my daily life, I write them down to get them out of my mind and on paper.
I can also write about whatever I need to, allowing me to express my emotions appropriately. If I don't want anyone else to read it, I'll throw it away as a symbolic gesture that God is at work and that I trust that he will work everything out.
Talk to Others
Because of our technological world and the nature of my job, I often feel isolated. I can usually go days or weeks without speaking to anyone, but this is not good for my mental or emotional health. I need to be around others who will help me daily. It's also healthy for me to have someone supportive of me and who can talk me through my problems. I need someone who can be a third party to the issue and not tell me what I want to hear but what is best.
It takes a person of great courage and strength to say what you don't want to hear. I need to find people who won't simply encourage me but will also challenge me to be a better person. These people, who are also strong in their faith, are the ways God uses to speak. I often wait for him to make some big miraculous gesture to know what God is saying. However, he sometimes uses the people around me in the community to speak to me in power. I need to listen and be in tune with what he is saying.
Fast
When angry or sad about my situation, I often go toward things that numb those emotions. I will binge-watch my favorite show, eat comfort food, and shop. While there's intrinsically nothing sinful in these things, it is when I use them as a coping mechanism rather than waiting on God. Because waiting to hear from the Lord can be frustrating, filling my life with things to help quench the deep emotions I feel during the trial is easy.
Although not everyone can fast for medical reasons, there are some great ways to practice fasting without abstaining from food. I can fast from secular music, television, shopping, social media, or anything else that distracts me. Fasting is a great way to reset my mind, body, and soul from the toxic world and help me refocus my thoughts on God. Because I indulge in these things, it is easier for me to drown God out.
This is especially true if I'm waiting for him in the silence. It's easy for me to ignore him because I'm waiting for him and his timing. When I choose to indulge in healthy activities that keep me focused and ready for the next chapter in my life, I am better prepared mentally, spiritually, and emotionally to be ready when God wants to use me again for another of his purposes.
Silence can be downright frustrating in our spiritual lives. But journaling, surrounding myself with good-quality people who can help me sort out my feelings, fasting from junk food and other coping mechanisms, and serving others helps me drown out the distractions and become more in tune with God and his voice.
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