How do you feel about silence?

[rachelsedge]

I realize this is the music forum, and I have no particular music to share, but it's still related to music in a way.

I adore music. I listen to it all the time. It's on in the background radio at work (though 99% of the songs they play are not my type...but still, it is there), I listen to it in the car, when I do dishes, when I fold laundry, when I'm chilling on my computer, when I journal, and the list goes on.

God has spoken to me through many different types of music before. I really just love music. Sometimes music brings out emotions that I don't otherwise let myself feel, fully.

However, sometimes I wonder if I use music as an escape or as a distraction. Like I said before, God has spoken to me through music many times. But I think it's also important to have silence, to just be still and quiet before God, just Him and me.

How do you feel about silence? Do you avoid it? Embrace it? Do you have a good balance between music and silence, or are you okay with listening to music all the time?

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

For as noisey of a person as I am & how much I love cranking up the tunage,there are many many many times all I want is complete silence. I don't avoid it at all. As a matter of fact there are times I desire it so badly. Not just to escape those around me,but even just to not have to listen to my own speaking. I'm not one to ever claim he hears God speak to him...I don't know as if I ever have heard God in much of the ways many christians I know had said how God speaks to them,butit's nice at times just to chill out & think thoughts to him...talk with him that way.
God has used music in so many ways for me as well. It's even helped me memorize scripture at times or even parts of the bible that I may have found lagging to read,but when put into song,it almost makes it more powerful & interesting,sometimes it's even helped me to understand what that verse was saying,simply by the emotion of the song it's in. (does that make sense?) I've used music as an escape before. I suppose as long as you're not using it to escape hearing God,then it's not a big deal. =) Doesn't matter though...he always finds us,or I should say,we open our eyes & ears and he's right there like he's always been waiting for us to get our act together. LOL

 

[HEIsRiSen]

I enjoy silence, with all of the distractions in this world today it is sooo easy for us to take our focus off of God and His kingdom. It seems to me sometimes that the music and media's goal is to keep people distracted, not just from God, but from everything else going on in this world.

I agree that it is important to be still in silence before God and while reading the Word and meditating on it. My ratio of music to silence is probably 1:100. Listening to music in the car and at work is one thing, but to have it playing all of the time isn't good for anybody IMHO, I know that many will disagree. I think we hear things from our spirit while in silence that are very difficult to hear otherwise.

 

[zaoman32]

What's interesting is, I've always loved music before, but never really gave much thought, or paid much attention to any lyrics up until the last couple of years. Since then Music has really been a lot of my fuel. I've used it a lot of times to just vent out all my anger and frustration, as well as sing praise, and God has also used it to get my attention and really speak to my heart. But I find in the times I'm really trying to spend with God it's extremely distracting. One of my sisters used to have her quiet time with Waterdeep in the background and I just couldn't figure out how. I have ADD tendencies so it's easy for me to get distracted and when I have time with God, I really want to spend it with God and not being distracted by something else.

 

[MYRedeemedinJC]

Silence is a noise too rachelsedge! Can you hear it?? lol!.

 

[error]

I need my quiet time (sometimes). Esp. when I'm tired -> or want/need to think about some important things.

 

[MYRedeemedinJC]

Music at the right level can boost creativity, music too loud can cause craziness.. and really low music makes me go zzzz...

 

[dashadow]

Some quiet time with God is definitely great. I try to stress the importance of silence with my wife. There's this song I really like called, "When You Say Nothing At All". There's a line that goes, "You say it best, when you say nothing at all." I told that to my wife. Actually, I might have said, "I wish you would shut the heck up!" Just kidding, kind of.

 

[arwen83]

Silence is a noise too rachelsedge! Can you hear it?? lol!.

That was deep MYRedeemedinJC

Silence is good. I like it. We are so bombared with noise, music, tv, talking, babies crying, traffic, etc. Its nice to sit and soak up the sound of silence ~aah!

 

[MYRedeemedinJC]

That was deep MYRedeemedinJC

Silence is good. I like it. We are so bombared with noise, music, tv, talking, babies crying, traffic, etc. Its nice to sit and soak up the sound of silence ~aah!

We should go do some silent activities together Arwen83, chillaxing at the beach, reading, nature watching etc... You and me both! lol!. ..

 

[Alicja]

I agree that some quiet time with God is important, I like silence from time to time.

 

[Remza]

I completely agree with you. When I leave the house I always have my ipod, and most times i'm alone I have music playing, but it is very distracting and I think it is very important to have some quiet time, with God , A fast maybe from modern day technology so we can be more intimate with God.

 

[tribesman]

How do you feel about silence? Do you avoid it? Embrace it? Do you have a good balance between music and silence, or are you okay with listening to music all the time?

I embrace silence and love it. Here in this noise polluted city it is a rare thing and something to be pursued. I hate most of the "top of the pops" and similar, one of the worst noises a soul can experience IMO. But I also love some music, of course. But I do balance it and I sometimes prefer silence. Actually there is music where silence is an important part of the composition. American composer John Cage (1912-1992) even made a composition based wholly on silence:

[video=youtube;JTEFKFiXSx4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTEFKFiXSx4[/video]

 

[Ugly]

[video=youtube;M4btlA9nq9c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4btlA9nq9c[/video]

 

[violakat]

I don't think it's so much about us being silent, but focusing on listening to God at all times.

Interesting fact: there was a study done in regards to complete and utter silence. What they found is that when you make a room as sound proof as possible, after awhile, a person starts to become disoriented.

Silence is great, to much can be just as harmful.



The link below is about the chamber:
The world's quietest place is a chamber at Orfield Laboratories | Mail Online

 

[shae0104]

I do more silence now than I ever had

 

[Delerion]

It seems for my life at least, some of my best times spent with God were when I was wandering in the middle of the woods on my property away from all the noise. If it weren't so freezing cold right now, I'd be doing that more, lol. I'm weird like that. At times it seems like I'm a social vampire because I'm always so energetic when I'm in groups of people. Then other times I just feel like being alone so I can reflect on things.

 

[DarkVoid]

well i dont have a christian perspective but i don't like silence for very long at all...a short time is ok (like 15, 20 minutes) but when its silent i usually give in to sad fearful thoughts easier...sooo "noise" is my ally and silence is the enemy lol

 

[everystrangerisafriend]

Silence for me is the rarest way of communication for almost everyone wants to hear something and be heard.
But a lot of times, silence is what we really need. Even God uses silence for us to hear His "still small voice". To be still.

When there are no words or sound capable of communicating to us, silence shall provide it.

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

When I need silence, I listen to The Sound of Silence.

I think God can speak to you through any medium, including silence. Music is often my escapism as well.