When the Noise Gets Too Loud

Lately, I’ve found myself spending more time on social media than I probably should—scrolling, reading, observing. And honestly, it has been heavy. There is so much noise, division, and anger. So many voices are speaking at once that sometimes it is difficult to know who is telling the truth anymore.

I find myself pausing in the middle of scrolling and wondering, Did he really say that? Did she really mean that? Between social media, the news, public figures, and even voices within the Church, it can feel as though we are caught in a whirlwind of rhetoric. And now, with AI added to the mix, there is another layer of uncertainty that can make discerning what is real, what has been altered, and what has been taken completely out of context even more difficult.

But it isn’t only the noise that troubles me. There is real pain underneath it. The cost of living continues to weigh heavily on families. People are losing jobs, homes, stability, and sometimes the ability to meet their most basic needs. There is a tension that seems to have seeped into ordinary life—in traffic, in stores, in conversations, and in the way we respond to one another. Then there are the stories that truly break my heart: children reaching a point of despair because of bullying, families being torn apart by betrayal, greed, and things hidden in darkness.

Sometimes it is enough to make me sit back and ask, “Lord…what is happening?”

But somewhere in the middle of thinking about all of this, something shifted in my spirit. I was reminded of Genesis 2:16–17 and God’s instruction in the garden. As I sat with that Scripture, I began to wonder whether what I was seeing was only about what is happening around us—or whether God was also inviting me to think about what happens within us when we choose our own way over His.

God gave clear and loving instruction, yet humanity chose differently. Pride, desire, and the belief that perhaps we could determine for ourselves what was best entered the story. In many ways, I believe the consequences of that choice still echo through humanity today.

When I read Romans 1:18–32, it doesn’t feel like ancient words disconnected from modern life. It feels soberingly familiar. Paul describes what happens when truth is exchanged for lies, gratitude toward God disappears, and people increasingly attempt to live according to their own understanding rather than His. Reading it caused me to stop pointing only outward and begin looking inward.

Because it is easy to look at everything happening in the world and say, Look at them. But Scripture continually brings me back to a much more personal question: What is happening in my own heart?

That changes the reflection for me. This cannot simply become another commentary about what everyone else is doing wrong. I am part of this world too, and I need God’s grace, correction, wisdom, and mercy just as much as anyone else.

I also believe the enemy is real. John 10:10 tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and when I look around, I can see the devastating effects of confusion, division, despair, and brokenness. But thank God, that verse does not end there. Jesus continues, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

That is where my hope rests.

God is still merciful. He is still present, and He is still calling His people back to Him. Maybe my response to all this noise is not to consume more of it, argue with it, or allow it to steal my peace. Maybe the invitation is to become quieter before God—to return to His Word, humble myself before Him, and simply pray, “Father, forgive us. And Father, begin with me.”

I want to realign my heart, refocus my attention, and remember who I belong to. No headline, social-media post, commentator, public figure, or opinion gets the final word over my life.

God does.

So rather than allowing myself to become consumed by everything that appears to be going wrong in the world, I want to redirect my energy toward what is right, true, and eternal. I want to seek God more deeply, trust Him more completely, and allow my life to glorify Him.

And then I want to do my part—however small it may seem—to carry His light into a world that desperately needs it.