Noise Level

Back in my college days, we used to have an interesting concept called the “noise level” in physics. What is it? It simply means that there is an inherent noise level in our environment under which any signal that we present won’t be clearly heard. This concept was true at the time of discovering the superheterodyne receiver as much as discerning audio signals from space today.

This noise level is true even in our lives. There is a continuous chatter on in our minds. All the thoughts and experiences run a 24 by 7 audio channel in our head. Above that, there is the voice from God and the noise from the ungodly. God’s voice through the Holy Spirit is clear and usually above the noise level in my experience. The only need is our willingness to listen. But the other voice is the problem.

The ungodly voice operates at the noise level and creeps up with thoughts and suggestions as if it were our own. So, with all our experiences that we are replaying in our minds, the ungodly continues to make those experiences sour by opening up its own unruly chatter.

Here’s where the problem starts.

Noise Level Takes Over | And Becomes the Only Voice

It took me a long time to realize that the noise level chatters were the grass under which the serpent hid and kept whispering in the dark. The chatter soon became debilitating until the whispers were the only thing left in my head. To make matters worse, I was moving away from God around this period. A perfect crucible for the ungodly’s experiments, and I was the subject.

During this phase, it was difficult to tell the difference between our thoughts and the ungodly’s whispers. For example:

I would be thinking about the award that I received for my performance and playing that episode in my head..

And…

Out of nowhere, another thought would emerge, which would go something like - Yeah, the award was good, but I didn’t look great, or the shirt was soiled, or others think that I didn’t deserve it, or I just got it because I am close to the boss, or some other useless thought related to the award.

And all of these happened to me. The first part was the original thought, and the second part, though it also seems like my own assessment of the event, was clearly not from me. How do I know? Because I listened to it and found myself in depression. These are the classic self-sabotage ingredients that come together to put us down. Just that some of those suggestions are not our thoughts.

You would argue that this happens with everyone, but not everyone goes into depression. True. And I went into depression because I distanced myself from God. The only shield in my life, I chose to put down and allowed myself to be attacked. But there lies the good news, too. God does prune away the grass and shows us the ungodly.

But for that, you need to pray!

Prayer - the Lawn Mower | God - the ungodly Destroyer

It is funny that I came up with the example of prayer being the lawn mower, and it is. Prayer is not just the lawn mower, but also the noise cancellation power. The noise level gets destroyed by prayer. In either case, the chatter in the head stops. And what does that do?

It exposes the whispers. When prayer colors the background of our life, it highlights the whispers. We get to know that it is not our voice (or thought). Then the next job becomes easier. All we have to do is to “rebuke” the thought and “command” the thought and the evil spirit behind the thought to leave us and go fall in the fires of hell, by the Mighty and Holy Name of Jesus Christ. And it works. It worked wonders in my life.

I didn’t know that the chatters in the head could be stopped. Without the grass, the serpent cannot come close without being detected. And if it can’t come close, it can’t manipulate our thoughts. And then, guess what we are ready to hear? The voice of God.

This is what prayer does. It destroys the chatter and installs “God’s Voice”, the Holy Spirit’s call!! I have learnt from my mistakes. No more prayerless life. God and his protection are non-negotiable for me. I will do everything in my power to stay in God’s grace through prayer! And I think you should, too.

Image Courtesy: Mohamed_hassan at Pixabay(dot)com