Trusting God's Silence: A Thanksgiving Reflection

Welcome back to our special five-part Thanksgiving series on the Healthy Church Staff podcast, where we are turning the typical narrative of gratitude on its head. Today's discussion is for those diligent church staff who have been tirelessly praying and serving but are hearing nothing but silence. We want to reframe this experience and delve into what God might be accomplishing in the quiet.

God's Silences as Transformative

It's very human of us to associate God's movement with noise and signs—be it the big 'yes,' an opened door, or confirmation from scriptures. However, scripture often suggests that God's actions could be more subtle than we expect. Remember Elijah in 1 Kings 19? After an astounding mountaintop experience, he found God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a delicate whisper.

God's absence might actually signal His silent operation on a deeper frequency than we're accustomed to. Much like a seed sowing its roots beneath the soil, God's silence could be a period of invisible yet vibrant activities beneath the surface of our lives and our ministries.

Finding Gratitude in Silent Seasons

Regardless of the plateau your church seems to be stuck on, the silent wilderness it's currently wandering in, or the feeling of God's absence in your ministry, these silent seasons might be the very moments when your church is realigned for its next phase of growth, and you are being prepared for an impending breakthrough.

Admitting gratitude during these silent seasons could be an incredibly faith-filled act. It might not come easy—especially when you yearn for answers. But giving thanks before receiving an answer might cause your heart to shift, opening your ears to eventually break the silence.

Reflecting on God's Silence this Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, remember—God's silence isn't His stillness. He could be doing His deepest work during the quietest times. The absence of His voice might just indicate that you are right where He wants you to be, urging you to trust and grow.

Reflect on these questions: where does God seem silent in your ministry right now? What if you trusted that He's currently at work and asked, "What are you forming in me here?"

Gratitude isn't just for the times when God speaks loudly and clearly. It's for the silence too, trusting that even in the quiet, He's actively at work.

Sink deeper into this perspective by tuning into today's episode of the Healthy Church Staff podcast, and let's thank God this Thanksgiving season, even amid His silence.