A quiet place

A quiet place

The Bible clearly stated the principle of time - "a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to merry and a time to be alone". Paraphrased. 

There will be a time in your life when all will be quiet around you. If you've not experienced this yet, good for you. That means you've got time to learn how to handle this critical period of life. If you've experienced this quietness before, you can tell that major advancement that happened in your life occurred after this period - whether good or not good. 

If you're yet to experience this phase of life (it doesn't happen once and it doesn't announce itself), you are in a good position to be strategic in how you respond. Because how your response will determine your result. And it doesn't matter how you prepare, the scripture says "if your strength fails in the day of adversity, you are a weak specimen". You don't want to be a weak specimen. 

Some things you will experience at this time that will indicate that you're currently in the zone:

+ Almost all your friends are nowhere to be found. Now it is not as if they planned it. Nature just has to prune you for growth. 

+ It can even affect your finances, and you realize that your finances are growing beyond a certain point. No matter what you do. 

+  You feel stagnated. 

+ You lost something precious e.g. your job or relationship.

How to respond?

+ Prayer: it will be very tempting to start using your strength and wisdom to make things work at this point. Don't do it. Do not trust in your strength. Instead, sit down with the Bible and pray. The silence you're experiencing is for a reason. There's something God want to pass to you or through you that the crowd mentality will drown. 

+ Stay with the scripture: It's possible that for a while you've not really paid attention to your study of the Bible. This is a good time to catch up. 

+ Gratitude: You must be grateful to God at this time, thanking Him for the life you're living at this time. The Bible says "it's because of God's mercy we are not consumed". There's a reason you didn't lose everything. There's a reason you've the most important people in your life - your pastor, spouse, the team at work etc. 

+ Show love: especially your enemies and those that despitefully use you. There will be every reason to hate or withdraw your love from people that you think have hurt you. But, allow that very love of God that has been spread abroad in your heart to prevail. Love more. Forgive more. Laugh more. You're God's anointed. Imagine if the devil had known what the crucifixion would mean? He didn't. So, the devil doesn't even know that this is part of your cross and after it comes resurrection. 

Don't give up.

By all means, this period will try the life out of you. It is definitely not a walk in the park. It will stretch you and test everything you've known. 

But, remember "all things work together for your good because you love God". 

Some scriptures to help:

+ Psalm 31

+ Lamentations 3

+ Lamentations 3: 28 -30 (MSG)

+ Psalms 30: 6 - 7

Image: Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash