Trolly BusI often have an AM station on when I’m driving. The radio will be coming in clearly when, all of a sudden with no warning, loud static is grating on my ears. The problem is simple. The noise bursts in every time I go under those overhead wires for the electric buses. As soon as I get away from the route the electric buses take, the station clears right up.

If that were the only static I had to deal with, life wouldn’t be too bad. My radio static reminds me, though, that I encounter other kinds of static noises that are really serious. I find myself being bombarded with other types of static that threaten to make my life confusing and frustrating.

Maybe you can relate to some of the static I have to deal with in my life. I regularly see or hear advertisers trying to convince me that I have to buy their products. They are constantly trying to lure me into thinking that I will be happy if I just drive their car, use their soap, or eat their food.

If that weren’t enough, the evening news gives me a constant flow of things to make me afraid—murders, robberies, increased taxes, wars, large sink holes, cancer, sugared drinks, just to name a few. The list is endless.

All of that “static” is on top of other personal issues that may be going on at the time: poor health, unpaid bills, relationship conflicts. Now that I think about it, life is filled with a lot more “static” then I realized.

How can I, how can we, avoid as much irritating “static” as possible? When I’m in my car, it’s easy. All I have to do is get out from under those power lines. Avoiding life’s “static” takes more effort. Let me give you a three-step plan any of us can put into practice that will get us away from much of the “static” of everyday life.

First, make sure you have a relationship with the One who controls every circumstance of your life. That relationship begins when you are tired of your sin and are willing to trust Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross as the full payment for your disobedience. “But as many as received

[Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). “…In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength…” (Isaiah 30:15).

Second, spend some quality time alone with God every day. Turn off all the “static” you can, which includes the TV, computer, and radio. Then you can think about God and share your thoughts with Him. “Cease striving and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). “Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still” (Psalm 4:4).

Lastly, (and all three of these ideas are vital) fill your mind with God’s thoughts. The Bible is the only reliable way we can learn what God is like and what He expects from us. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). “Those who love Your law [i.e. the Bible} have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165). Read God’s Word. Listen to it on your smartphone or on your computer. When you do that, you get His viewpoint on so many things. He will guide you to a place of quietness and peace away from life’s meaningless noise.

Think back to all the difficult “static” that you endured in 2013. God wants to fill the emptiness you feel inside, and replace it with meaning, purpose, and peace in 2014. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him” (Psalm 28:7).