Noise to Discernment

🎧 Audio Version: If you’d rather listen while you walk, drive, or fold laundry, here’s the audio version of today’s post.

Is the loudest voice in your life right now noise or truth?

2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The engine was already roaring. The air vents were blasting. At least thirty conversations buzzed around me, layered like static. I stepped onto the plane, and it was immediate, the noise. A flight attendant was trying to sort out a seat mix-up while another called over the speaker for a missing passenger. Somewhere behind me, a baby started crying. One row over, a man was telling a story so loud I couldn’t ignore it, even if I wanted to. Something about minus 49 degrees in Canada and how he was traveling with the women’s hockey team. I wasn’t trying to listen… but I am nosey. So I did. Out the window, I watched the crew loading luggage, chunking bags like they were bales of hay. That cannot be good.

“Oh, I’m sorry, yes, I’ll put on my seatbelt,” I mumbled as the flight attendant gave me a polite smile. And just as I clicked it in, the safety demo began, muffled and way too close to the mic. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but I didn’t need to. I’ve heard that same speech twenty times before.

It was loud. It was layered. It was a lot.

So I grabbed my phone, started a podcast, slid on my noise-canceling headphones, and closed my eyes. Just like that… peace. And five minutes later, before we even left the ground, I was asleep.

That stuck with me. Because life feels like that plane lately. Loud. Overcrowded with headlines, opinions, notifications, group texts, kids calling your name, bills waiting, thoughts spiraling. Everything urgent. And your soul? Just trying to breathe.

The tension is real. You want peace but you’re surrounded by chaos. You long for clarity but can’t find it. We’re so used to the scroll and the buzz that silence feels suspicious. Stillness feels like failure. And sometimes the loudest noise isn’t even out there…it’s in here.

What if I mess this up?
What are they thinking about me?
Why can’t I get it together like she can?

The thoughts aren’t new, but they are relentless.

Here’s what I’m learning: you cannot hear the voice of peace if you’re tuned into the noise. Clarity doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from pulling away. From choosing quiet, even for a moment, so your soul can come up for air. But quiet alone isn’t enough. It matters who you’re listening to in the quiet.

And that’s where 2 Corinthians 10:5 cuts straight to the heart:
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

That’s discernment. You don’t have to let every thought boss you around. You get to decide which ones stay.

What I’m Learning

I’ve let the noise paralyze me…louder thoughts than prayers. Parenting decisions, school choices, sports schedules, church conversations. The swirl convinced me that God was making things complicated. But He isn’t.

He’s not hiding His will like it’s behind curtain number three. He’s promised that I can discern His voice when I let Him renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2). It’s not about having every answer. It’s about being rooted in His Word, so when the noise comes, you can take those thoughts captive and call them what they are: noise or truth.

Reset Step: The Discernment Filter

The next time your thoughts feel overwhelming, try this:

Pause. Take a breath. And ask…

Does this thought line up with God’s Word?
Does it draw me toward peace or toward panic?
Does this reflect God’s heart or just my fear?

If the answer is no, it’s noise. Take it captive. Don’t let it drive your decisions. Let Christ lead you back to truth.

Want to Go Deeper?

This post is just a piece of the bigger picture I share in my new e-book, Sound Mind: Living Anchored and Free in a World That Feeds Your Fear.
Inside, we talk about how to…

Discern God’s voice when life feels loud
Replace panic with peace
Break free from toxic thought loops
Live steady when everything around you feels shaky

And this month, I’m giving it away free.

Free eBook

For other freebies check out the Reset Room.
Not in yet? Subscribe, and I’ll send you the password straight to your inbox.

With grace,
Jessica Lee