A few years ago while I was working in the offices of General Motors, I was shocked at an inter-office memo I had received.
The note was to explain about a new “noise filtering system†that was to be installed in the 1,000-plus employee complex within the coming weeks. It wasn’t the system alone that got my attention… it was what I read next.
The memo went on to say that white noise is merely a constant flood of sound that fills the air around you. It’s purposes is to dampen the other sounds and “chatter†that fill the room. As the memo went on, they described how the white noise at first will be irritating to us; it would be very noticeable, but we were encouraged to ignore this irritation. “Before you know it, you won’t even realize it’s there†the memo said, “you will become de-sensitized to the noise, and it won’t be offensive to you anymore.â€
There is nothing wrong with white noise in an office space… actually it can be a very good thing as it drowns out the sounds around you. What disturbed me was the thought that “white noise†enters into the spiritual lives of Apostolic people every day! As we are bombarded daily with temptations and we are assaulted by the blunt sinfulness of the world, it first is irritating to us. But the problems start when we begin to get accustomed to this sin, and it is no longer offensive to us.
Let’s not let the sinfulness of this world drown out the voice of God in our lives.
Prayer
Lord, help me to keep my focus on you today. I’m so thankful that where darkness abounds, grace abounds so much more. I pray for grace in my life that overpowers the “white noise†that sin presents to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
