Five Reasons to Regularly make Silent Retreats in the Day:
1. In Many Words are Many Sins:
“When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Prov. 10:19)
2. All Strength Has its Roots in Silence:
“In quietness and trust is your strength." (Isa. 30:15) As the strength of God that came into the world to save us emerged from 9 months of silent gestation in a womb, from three days of silent waiting in the tomb, so words that emerge from silence have strength.
“And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.” (Isa. 32:17)
3. In silence we cease Living Reactively and begin to Live Reflectively:
Much of our lives aren’t lived from the inner to the outer, but only in reaction to the outer world – our words and actions are reactive to outer stimulus, outer noise, outer distractions. In silence we learn to not live reactively, but reflectively – a still pond listening for God, a quiet life reflects His ways, reflects His heart, reflects Christ’s actions.
4. In Silence We Face the Canyons:
In the quiet, without the noise of distractions, we begin to hear the cry from the chasms of our hearts, begin to hear the depth of our need for love, affirmation, community. In a world where it all too easy to fill the gorges of our pain with people and noise and activity, it is only in silence that our neediness draws us to God for His healing.
5. Silence is an exercise in Humility:
Author Michael Casey writes,
“ [Constant talking] restricts our capacity to listen, it banishes mindfulness and opens the door to distraction and escapism. Talking too much often convinces us of the correctness of our own conclusions and leads some into thinking they are wise. It can be a subtle exercise in arrogance and superiority. Often patterns of dependence, manipulation and dominance are established and maintained by the medium of speech.”
