How to Be Okay With Uncomfortable Silence in the Virtual Jesus Challenge

Key Takeaways: 

• Silence and stillness feel uncomfortable when you’re used to constant stimulation. 

• The purpose of stillness is to create more space for intimacy with God. 

• Quiet helps you notice the honest experience going on inside you, like emotions and thoughts you’ve been too busy to process. 

• Removing distractions helps you pay closer attention to God’s voice. 

• You don’t have to become an introvert to experience silence and more intimacy with God. Your personality is a beautiful, God-given thing!  

• The Jesus virtual challenge gives you an easy, practical way to practice stillness and experience deeper intimacy with God.  

You just found out about the virtual Jesus challenge, and you’re pumped! 40 miles, 40 days of time in God’s Word. Sounds great! 

✅ You love walking. 

✅ You love Jesus. 

✅ You love the idea of getting outside. 

Amazing! 

But wait… 🤔 there’s going to be some stillness and quiet? Like just… be there? Without a podcast? Without a playlist? No phone scrolling? Just you and God? Yikes…

If you’re an extrovert or someone who doesn’t like being still, this blog is for you. 🫶 

Slowing down and just being can feel really weird and uncomfortable. 

🤷 What am I supposed to DO for 20 minutes? That's so long!  

🤷 I have no idea how to be quiet with God or myself. How do you start? 

🤷 What about all these loud thoughts in my head? 

🤷 It’s boring…! 

If that’s you, take a deep breath. 😊 You’re not doing anything wrong. 

But no, I’m not going to tell you that silence in itself is magical and just to embrace the stillness for stillness’ sake. Silence can be downright HARD. So why do we think it’s important enough to practice? 

Let’s talk about WHY we’re addicted to filling every spare moment, WHAT makes it worth getting uncomfortable, and HOW to do it practically. 👇

Why Don’t We Stop the Noise? 

Maybe you wouldn’t describe yourself as someone who’s uncomfortable with silence. But ask yourself this: do you just always have something going? 

• There’s a podcast in the car. 

• A playlist while you workout. 

• Checking notifications in the shower. 

• The TV is on while you eat. 

• You pull out your phone in line at the pharmacy because, well, what else are you supposed to do for the next 45 seconds? 😂 

• Something even fills your mind during your downtime: books, the news, social media, shows. 

I do it too! 🙋

Now don’t get me wrong – none of these things are bad in themselves! Podcasts, shows, texts, those are all great gifts, and God works through them, too! 

But sometimes we use them as a crutch to stay in our comfort zone and maybe, just maybe, block out the things we don’t want to think about… 😬 

So let’s say you finally take your first walk with the Jesus challenge, and you leave the headphones at home. You notice completely new things. Who knew?! 😅 

At first, it’s really nice. The birds. The breeze. That cute house you never really got a good look at. 

And then more thoughts dump out. Less pretty ones. 

❌ The conversation you’ve been avoiding. 

❌ Emotions you’ve stuffed down for ages. 

❌ That big thing you really don’t want to deal with. 

❌ A conviction from the Holy Spirit that’s extremely humbling and painful. 

Ouch. 

Yeah. That’s what happens for many of us when we turn off the noise. So NO, getting silent isn't the easiest choice. 😉 It can be extremely uncomfortable. But it’s also extremely valuable. 

Now I know you might think, “Ok, Rachel, but I actually don’t want to know what’s going on inside, that’s WHY I drown it out…” 

So let’s talk about WHY we’d even slow down enough to be still… 👇

What’s the Point of Choosing Stillness if It’s So Uncomfortable? 

Why would an extrovert or someone who dislikes quiet choose this? Why not just carry on as you were, filling your mind and moving on with your life? 

Because the gain on the other side of the discomfort is worth it. 

And what is that gain? 

👉Greater intimacy with God. 👈

There’s no greater reward for human life than that. And intimacy can’t happen very well when we’re constantly distracted. 🤳

Yes, God can absolutely speak to you in the middle of your busy day, through a song, or in your car with the podcast in the background. 

But when you intentionally remove some of those competing voices, YOU become more aware of Him speaking to you. 

👀 You learn to be honest about what’s happening in your life. 

👀 You learn to be present to the people and things God’s put in front of you. 

👀 You can give God your full attention without squeezing Him into a few spare minutes between things. 

So yes, the silence will be uncomfortable, especially at first. And that’s ok! Because if you truly desire and seek greater understanding and intimacy with God’s heart, this is a great way to experience more of Him. 

How Can You Practice Stillness When It’s Uncomfortable?

Let’s talk details. How does this play out in real life? Even when you’re out on your virtual Jesus challenge walk? 

Give these a try: 

1. Actually remove the distractions. 📵 Leave your headphones at home. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Go by yourself. 

2. Give your brain a transition period. ⌛ Set a 10 minute timer and let your brain decompress before you pray or meditate. Your brain will probably bounce all over the place at first and need to unload. Let it. 

3.  Walk or run while you process. 🏃 Moving your body physically sometimes makes it easier to process mentally. Let the physical movement create space for you to be honest and vulnerable with God. 

4. Choose one phrase to focus on from your Scripture reading. 🔖 Don't try to analyze the entire passage. Pick one verse that catches your attention and spend some time thinking and praying about it. 

5. Talk to God about what's actually happening in your real, day to day life. 🗣️ Work, relationships, worries, hopes, dreams, fears. You can just talk to him as a friend, it doesn't need to be fancy.

6. Write it down. ✍️ If your mind likes to run all over the place, jot down your thoughts, prayers, convictions, or the lessons that God’s teaching you. It helps your mind stay on track. 

7. Don't immediately run from uncomfortable feelings. 💪 If sadness, frustration, anxiety, or other difficult emotions come up, resist the urge to immediately distance yourself. Sit with it for a moment. Bring it to God and ask, "What is it you're trying to show me in this?” 

And remember,  the goal is to create space to experience greater intimacy with God. It WILL be uncomfortable, yes. But receiving more of God Himself is ALWAYS worth it. 

You Don’t Have to Become an Introvert

If you’re an extrovert reading this, I can feel you getting a little nervous. 😆 No, God is not trying to make you into an introvert! 

👥  If you love being around people, keep loving them!

🗣️ If you love talking, keep talking.

🎶 If music helps, turn it up! 

📚 If you’re working your way through three different podcasts or books, carry on.

God gave you that personality for a reason, and it reflects a beautiful part of His own image. Your energy, your enthusiasm, your love for people, your ability to walk into a room and make things happen: all of that is a gift, and He delights in you! 

The problem arises when we allow that noise to become SO constant that we fail to prioritize quiet (the uncomfortable quiet) to hear God. 

Even good things can become too much of a good thing. 

So you keep being you. 🫶 Just let God have the best of your attention. He deserves it. Leave the earbuds at home sometimes. Let the silence be a little awkward. Let your brain wander. 

Get Started With the Virtual Jesus Challenge 

Our aim with the Jesus challenge is not to turn you into someone who loves being alone and silent and reclusive. 🦀 

Our goal is to help you practically, consistently prioritize Jesus as number 1 in your life. Even with all the schedules, the demands, the never-ending lists. 

So if the silence of meeting with God sounds a little uncomfortable, that's okay. 🫶 You don't have to love it before you start. You don't even need to know what to pray about or how to think during that time. 

You can take courage in the fact that you're about to spend time with the One who knows you better than anyone; He made you! So He knows exactly what you need, how to meet you, and how to get you there. He’s got it! 🥰

I applaud and respect your willingness to step into something uncomfortable for the sake of knowing God more. He is SO worthy of our discomfort and growth. I'm cheering you on and hope you join us for our next virtual Jesus challenge! 👇

Claim Your Spot in the Jesus Challenge