Silence

Our Lord told us to pray in secret –
That means in your heart –
and he instructed us to “shut the door.”
What is the door he says we must shut,
If not the mouth?
For we are the temple in which Christ dwells,
For as the Apostle said:
“You are the temple of the Lord.”
And the Lord enters into your inner self,
Into this house,
To cleanse it from all that is unclean,
But only while the door – that is, your mouth –
Is closed shut.

Aphrahat the Persian

It was at the first real men’s retreat that I ever attended that I was challenged to not speak for 8 hours while amongst many men. It was hard – in fact, impossible. I could not entertain myself and silence held new thoughts among old thoughts that I did not want to think.

The voice of God came clearer then as I learned an important truth. It is good to shut up. Distraction steals the words of God that are whispered quietly – only quietly. It is hard for God to reprove, rebuke, convict and clean unless He is allowed the run of the house of our minds.

It was painful at first – the silence – but now, the silence brings wisdom, peace and surety. Wisdom fills the clean house.