The Uncomfortable Silence

ESPN.com's article, “The Uncomfortable Silence of Kawhi Leonard,” describes the tension taking place between the San Antonio Spurs and their superstar.

This has been one of the weirdest and most confusing NBA plotlines - especially since the model franchise Spurs are involved.

Apparently, there have been major communication and trust issues surrounding the severity of Leonard’s injury. The Spurs had cleared him to play, but Leonard remained sidelined for most of the second half of the season as he continued to recover.

The league wondered why he wasn't around the team very often, and curious as to why he wasn't back on the floor when he should have been healthy.

Head coach Gregg Popovich’s comments to the media have pointed to an issue with Leonard’s “group” speaking on his behalf. Kawhi has never been much of a talker, but he’s been especially silent most of this season and has given little insight into the fractured relationship with the Spurs.

Leonard has chosen not to speak his mind yet, which has created frustration and uncertainty for everyone involved. The “uncomfortable silence” will continue until the situation is resolved, but he's still a great player and the Spurs are an elite franchise.

How many of us have faced seasons in our lives involving “uncomfortable silence” from God? We spend time in prayer but don’t get an answer to resolve our problem. We cry out to God for Him to tell us what to do next, but He appears to be quiet. It leaves us confused, frustrated and uncertain as to why God doesn’t seem to want to respond to our concerns.

This type of season can be extremely difficult to go through. We just want to know what’s going on and what we should do, but we continually come up with nothing.

When this happens, we have the choice to give up on God or trust Him more. What if God isn’t being silent, but He’s whispering and we need to pull closer to hear what He’s saying?

What if there's unconfessed sin in our lives creating a wedge between us and God, and preventing us from hearing Him? Or what if God has a purpose in His silence and is using it to force us to ask questions, re-evaluate, and make changes?

What if the reason for the silence is that God wants the waiting to deepen our faith and our reliance on Him? What if the silence is being used to set up the moment when God powerfully speaks so we’re readily willing to hear what He has to say?

We’re not the only ones to experience “uncomfortable silence,” and David encourages us in Psalm 22:1-5 that there is hope in the anguish:

"My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? Why are You so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to You, my God, but You do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

"Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in You, and You rescued them. They cried out to You and were saved. They trusted in You and were never disgraced.”

The bottom line is, God is good, faithful, loving, and in control. He doesn’t want us to remain frustrated and confused and will lead us and guide us as we seek Him. As we wait for Him to move, we can be assured of His comfort and strength...and ultimately, His deliverance.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I admit I don’t like when You’re silent, but I trust in Your purpose. I pray You would purify my heart, open my ears to hear, and give me the strength to keep seeking You as I wait for You to move and speak. Prepare my heart to hear You clearly when You do. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.