What’s in your noise?
Maybe this has happened to you: You find a spot to pray, or think. You get alone, you silence your notifications, you clear out some time. But your mind won’t cooperate.
The quieter some things get, the louder others become.
When this happens to you, listen. What’s in your noise? Do you hear to-do lists and tasks, or the replay of a conversation, grievance, or regret? Do you drift toward a favorite distraction, or toward the future or past? Is everything drowned out by a nagging worry: money, health, or family?
Where does your soundtrack get stuck?
With so much noise coming from within ourselves, finding silence is much harder than getting to a peaceful location. But the inverse is true as well: a genuine internal quietness can go with us down the noisiest street; or into our family drama, the stressful meeting, or the interview.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18
Joseph had some angst in his noise. The book of Matthew tells us that in his own bed, in his own house, Joseph was burdened by the stress about what to do in a difficult and unexpected situation. Can you relate? Scripture (Matthew 1:20) tactfully says he was “considering these things,” but Joseph had a problem that was not going away.
Eventually Joseph falls asleep, and an angel from the Lord meets him in his noise. The angel speaks the refrain of Christmas: Do not be afraid.
Don’t be afraid of the noise, Joseph. Don’t be afraid of your heartache, of your shame, of your upended plans. On the other side of this noise is a peace and a purpose that will carry you through harder days than this.
Joseph doesn’t get rid of his noise by gritting his teeth and willing it to go away. He considers his situation and shares it with God, and in doing so he finds a way through. Today when your mind wanders, when the hum gets too loud, listen to your noise, and share it with God. Tell yourself out loud: Don’t be afraid. It’s Christmas.
It comes to pass that Joseph goes from a man on the brink of a divorce to a man who finds reconciliation, hope, and a purpose—he finds a way out of his noise, into a silent night.
Song: “Behold” – Phil Wickham and Anne Wilson
This song is part of our Silent Nights playlist on Spotify.