Making “Selah” Normal

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

“Selah” is a term we see often in the psalms. No one is quite sure what it means, but it seems to indicate a pause, perhaps a musical interlude or just a moment to pause and reflect.

Taking time to pause and reflect is becoming a lost art in the fast-paced, over-stimulated environment of our culture. I saw a headline recently that we are exposed to some 5000 ads every day. (Of course I didn’t take the time to read the article.)

I’m beginning to suspect that all that over-stimulation takes its toll.

I’ve been noticing something about myself lately, and I don’t like what I’m seeing. I have an attention span problem. No, I’ve never been diagnosed with ADD, but I am noticing that I have trouble focusing on what’s important.

My mind wanders – when I’m praying, when I’m reading Scripture, when I’m singing in church. All those times when it is important for me to give my undivided attention to a matter, I find my attention dissipated, wandering far afield, unfocused.

I’ve been thinking about why this is so.

My own habits are at least partly (okay, probably mostly) to blame. I have cultivated the habit of filling my personal space with sound, words in particular. I don’t like to listen to music when I’m driving. When I’m in the car, it’s sports-talk or a sermon or a podcast, something that will occupy my mind. It’s like I have a constant craving for mental stimulation.

In other words, I haven’t left space in my life for “Selah.” That’s why Brian Croft’s article “Four Reasons Every Christian Needs Time in Silence” caught my attention (momentarily, at least). Although Croft writes as a pastor to pastors, everyone who is weary of the frantic pace of life needs to stop and consider what he has to say.

His four reasons certainly resonate with me:

1. Silence exposes the soul. Croft writes, “It is when we are still and silent that we become more aware of our emotions, what our minds obsess over, and the physical pain we feel that could be related to stress and anxiety.”
2. Silence confronts the voices. “Abusive voices from my past, lies from the enemy, and painful words of criticisms in the present all created these messages of failure and self-loathing that were loudest when I was alone in silence,’ says Croft. “So, I ran from silence to try and escape these voices. I needed silence to confront these voices and speak powerful, gospel truth against the lies I heard and had believed for so long.”
3. Silence teaches us to listen. “It is amazing what happens when you are not so pre-occupied with trying to figure out what to say or do next. Just listen.”
4. Silence tests our need for noise. Croft confesses, “I had no idea that I needed noise because my soul was tormented in silence. Silence exposes the soul and can test how much we have grown to depend on noise to block out the pain of our lives. This is one of the many reasons why we all need blocks of time away from our phone, email, social media, and every electronic device that creates much of the constant source of noise in our life.”

I need to take time for Selah, time to reflect on what I’m hearing from God, what I’m hearing from my wife, what is happening in my own heart.

Elijah didn’t hear God’s voice in the mighty wind or in the earthquake, but in the still, small voice. Like that ancient prophet, we must create quiet space in our lives to quiet our hearts. That will look different in the busy life of a mother of littles, in the hard-pressed life of a small business owner, or in a student in high school. Whatever our circumstances, each of us must find that quiet place to still our souls and reflect.

And breathe.  

Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Pastor of Discipleship