It’s a noisy world that is so full of pressing demands for your attention. The digital world is hungry for you to consume, to be updated, to be ‘on top’. Here’s a ‘Self Awareness Quiz’.
ATTENTIVE OR DISTRACTED?
Give yourself a score of 0 to 10 (where 0 is disagree strongly and 10 is agree strongly)
| SCORE | |
| If WhatsApp pings whilst eating, I am likely to glance at it before finishing my food | |
| I always have my mobile with me and never give myself ‘down time’ | |
| I often post on social media and feel good when I get lots of views | |
| I quite often ‘share’ or ‘like’ | |
| I will consult my mobile surreptitiously during meetings | |
| Total |
0 – 30: You are able to focus on your current environment
31 – 75: You live in the ‘easily distracted zone’
76 – 100: Social Media occupies a lot of your attention, perhaps to the detriment of real relationships
Mindfulness
As children of God, we need to be careful to listen to Him in an intentional way. If we are more concerned with the opinions of social influencers and the many digital channels, it will make it hard for us to hear Him. We can be so connected to the digital age that we can be in danger of disconnecting from God.
The world shouts, God whispers
The hardest battle of modern discipleship is learning to tune your inner ear to the frequency of heaven.
1. The Problem: Your Soul Is Being ‘Out‑Volumed’
Every scroll, ping, notification, and headline competes for your attention. Digital noise isn’t neutral — it forms your inner world. It shapes your pace, your emotions, your expectations, even your theology.
The danger? Your heart becomes trained for instant stimulation, not slow revelation.
Jesus warned about this:
“The cares of this world… choke the word.” (Mark 4:19)
Digital noise is simply the 21st‑century version of those “cares.”
2. The Whisper: God Speaks Differently
God rarely shouts over the noise. He speaks in ways that require stillness, attentiveness, and hunger.
The whisper is not weakness — it is invitation. It is God saying: “Come closer.”
Elijah didn’t find God in the wind, earthquake, or fire. He found Him in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19).
The whisper is where intimacy lives – the reading of God’s Word, the line in a song, the sound of a bird on the wing, the smile of a child, the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. As a child, the prophet Samuel had to learn to recognise the voice of God – ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening’ (1 Samuel 3:9).
3. The Training: How to Re‑Tune Your Heart
This is where discipleship becomes practical.
- Reduce digital volume – Not all noise is sinful, but all noise is shaping you. Choose intentional quiet and take time with the mobile on ‘silent’, not even vibrate!
- Create micro‑moments of stillness – 30 seconds of silence before a meeting. A pause before replying. A breath before scrolling.
- Replace reaction with reflection -Don’t just consume but pause to consider. Ask: “What is this forming in me? Does this need a response now?’
- Practise Scripture-listening, not just reading – Read slowly. Read aloud or use an app to read to you. Read until a phrase arrests your heart. Meditate on that phrase – ask: “What does this mean me for my life?”
- Expect God to speak in the ordinary – The whisper often comes disguised as a thought, a nudge, a reminder, a scripture resurfacing, recognising something in a comment from someone else.
This is training your spiritual ear.
4. The Result: A Heart That Hears God Clearly
When you lower the world’s volume, God’s whisper becomes discernible.
You become:
- calmer
- clearer
- more attentive
- less reactive
- more Spirit‑led
- more emotionally anchored
- more aware of God’s nearness
Your inner world becomes a sanctuary again, that private place of intimacy with God. You can choose to live with God on the inside rather than to shut Him outside.
For reflection before moving on
- “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
- “Digital noise numbs the soul; God’s whisper awakens it.”
- “The voice you hear most shapes the person you become.”
- “Silence is not empty — it’s where God speaks loudest.”
- “Train your heart for whispers, not notifications.”
- “The world shouts for attention; God whispers for intimacy.”
Worship Reflection and A Prayer
“Speak to Me” – Kari Jobe:
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