SPRUCEਨਮੂਨਾ

SETTLE

We live in a soundscape as much as we live in a landscape.

A soundscape is the acoustic environment that surrounds us as we go about our everyday activities. In a busy restaurant, the voice of the person across the table from us competes with clinking dishes, the conversations at other tables, sounds from the kitchen, the air conditioning, the music, a ringing phone, and the television in the bar. All of those noises make up the wall of distractions you must navigate in order to focus on the person speaking at your table - and that is a bigger accomplishment than you might realize.

A 2020 study published on the National Library of Medicine website found:

"that distracting noises in the background activate the same region of the brain as sounds we choose to listen to. This demonstrates how background sounds are able to re-direct our attention. These results are consistent with the idea that we have a limited capacity for attention, and that new sensory information can divert brain activity."

If you thought fighting distraction was just a failure on your part to focus, brain science would disagree.We have a hard time focusing in the soundscape of life because our brains have limited capacity for attention.That means that if there is something really important, let's say something like hearing God speak, giving it full attention means purposefully eliminating distractions. That is what Habakkuk demonstrates.

Habakkuk 2:1I will climb my watchtower and wait to see what the Lord will tell me to say and what answer he will give to my complaint.

Habakkuk went up into his watchtower. A watchtower was a secluded place of quiet, where both his body and his mind could let go of distractions. Rather than fight against things that could redirect his attention, he steps away from them together. Even Jesus needed to settle into a quiet place to be with God.

Mark 1:35-37 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Consider the implication of Jesus's choice.

• What distractions would Jesus face in His daily life?
• What other important things were waiting for Jesus?
• How do His actions demonstrate the order of priorities?
• Why do you think Jesus was willing for other important things to wait for after He had time alone with His Father?

S.P.R.U.C.E.

As you prepare to step into God's presence, where you SETTLE is key.

S-SETTLE in a quiet place away from distractions.

Like Habakkuk, and like Jesus, turning your full attention to God begins when you turn away from other distractions. Some of those distractions will be important, like people who need you or responsibilities that fall to you. Setting them aside for a brief time is an act of trust that God will provide what you need for all that waits for you.

Other distractions are not so needful but may actually be more effective at diverting your attention from the voice of God. You have probably already experienced that it is not enough to set your cell phone aside, determined you won't pick it up. When it buzzes, rings or chimes, your attention is drawn away. So as simple as it might sound, climb up in the watchtower alone, isolated from cell phones, pagers, and computers.Turn off electronic notifications AND leave your phone in another room.

Set boundaries with those in your home to let them know you are unavailable for a specific time. If you have kids, be mindful that you are not depriving them of your time but are showing them that time with God is a priority. Enlist them as your helpers to guard your God-time.

Then, choose a place uncluttered by messes or visual distractions that are "noisy" in their own way. Trust that your body and soul will soon catch up to the quietness of your physical location.

Take a few breaths in and out, setting aside the noise in your mind and settling your thoughts. Befriend silence and SETTLE IN A QUIET PLACE if you want to hear from God.

✏️ Take a moment to write out your thoughts: How have you struggled with distraction when meeting with God? How can you apply the SETTLE principle?