Quiet The Noise - Cultivating a Still Heart in a Noisy World

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)

Recently, I was on a walk with a friend who loves to send me funny motherhood memes. Nearly every day, a new one lands in my DMs, and they genuinely make me laugh out loud because of their relatability and absurdity. I’m grateful for the comic relief during the highs and lows of raising tiny humans. Sometimes, if I don’t laugh about it, I’ll cry. Both laughter and tears are crucial for survival.

However, I couldn’t help but ask my friend, “Where in the world do you see all these reels you’re sending me?” To which she said, “What do you mean? I feel like that’s all I see on my feed.” After talking further, it became clear that the reason she was seeing all these comical motherhood videos and I wasn’t, was because of social media’s algorithm, which, as we know, is built to analyze our behavior and feed us what captivates us. Before we know it, it’s all we’re seeing. And the more we’re exposed to something, the more we’re formed by it.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are always being formed. We are always becoming someone. Human beings are not like cars; there is no staying in neutral.

Maybe the clearest explanation of this is found in Romans 12:2, when Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This verse makes it clear that we are being formed, but this process can take either the form of conformation or transformation.

Christine Caine once said, “All you have to do for your spiritual life to drift is nothing.” When I think about conforming to this world, I think of that slow, steady drift and how social media makes it that much easier to do so.

It’s doomscrolling instead of spending our few free minutes to simply sit with ourselves and our thoughts.

It’s endlessly comparing our lives to others’ highlight reels.

It’s having no boundaries or rhythms when it comes to how and when we interact with this very unassuming but powerful force.

On the opposite side, being transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ is fighting against the current that causes the drift.

These can also be small but significant decisions.

It means making the decision to dedicate effort and energy to what and how we post online.

It could mean creating space to listen to the still, small voice instead of listening to the endless voices screaming at us through our phones.

It can mean creating boundaries and rhythms with social media that protect our minds and our formation.

But being transformed by the renewal of your mind all starts with getting still, getting quiet, and letting God’s Word sit with you long enough to impact your heart, mind, and soul.

When we renew our minds, we renew our lives. When we renew our lives, we renew our relationship with Christ. When we renew our relationship with Christ—we magnify Him.

Challenge:

Choose one (or all!) of the items below and implement them for a day or a whole week. Commit to letting the Word of God be your main source of “content,” and journal the changes you see in your peace, your joy, and your relationship with Christ.

• Not checking your phone until you’ve been awake for an hour
• Sleeping with your phone outside your bedroom
• Deleting social apps after each use
• Use only a laptop for social media when possible
• Implement a social media fast