When was the last time you were still? Can you remember? I hate to admit this, but I can’t. I don’t mean watching TV, or reading a book. I mean really still, in communion with God. Pondering life and listening to where He is leading you. I confess, it’s a difficult task for me. It is probably something I should do on a daily basis, but more often than not, it’s something I avoid. I can’t remember the last time I did it properly. Sure I go to Church and read my bible, but as for being still? I don’t know. It requires time and patience, which are often in short supply these days! What I do know is that my soul is crying out for His guidance, but how can I expect to hear it if I never stop?
Lately I have been trying a few new things. Putting myself out there is both scary and satisfying at the same time, and I let myself feel like I am doing something worthwhile. I have registered with a few different organisations, and have managed to fill in my days nicely. But sometimes I wonder at my motivation. Yes I enjoy helping others and serving God, but in doing so have I forgotten to stop and listen? Have I become so busy and satisfied with “good works” that I no longer have the time, or more importantly the inclination, to just sit and talk to God? Am I fulfilling His purpose for my life, or following my own?
“Be still, and know that I am God”. That is a verse God has placed on my heart and mind constantly lately. I see it in everything I read, and I hear it all around me. Just this morning I heard it again! It definitely seems that the Holy Spirit is trying to get my attention. But why? If I’m doing everything right and serving God in the process, what is it that I’m missing? There must be something. For me personally, I don’t like being still. At least not for long anyway. It gives me too much time to think, and in my mind I create an endless check list of things to do. Being still does not come easily!
But obviously it is important to God that we do “be still”, and this verse is in the Bible for a reason. Could it be that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He is trying to tell us something important? How is it that such a simple command ends up being one of the most difficult to keep? We all know that being still helps us recharge, regain our focus and hear God. Sometimes all we need to do is stop and take a deep breath. But the question remains if it is so important to our well- being, why do we resist it? Somehow being still has landed at the bottom of our priority list, behind everything else that seems so much more important. But it’s not. When we feel stressed, tired and overwhelmed, God has put the solution right in front of us. Be still.
For me taking some time out is difficult. There are always things to do, and unfortunately there always will be. But if I want to give one hundred per cent of myself to everything I do, then I have to learn to be still. It needs to go at the top of my priority list, not the bottom. How can we do anything in the name of God if we don’t take the time to hear Him? How can we be sure that we aren’t filling up our lives with meaningless tasks unless we actually take the time to listen? Not just to God, but to each other. Think about how it feels to be in a relationship with someone and know that you’re just not being heard. Then think about how it makes God feel.
Even though I battle being still, I know how much closer I feel to God afterwards. It’s not that He doesn’t want me to live a full life; He just wants me to have some balance too. This includes setting aside some quiet time, just for Him. If we take a moment to hold up everything we do for His scrutiny first, the answers will come. It might not always be obvious, but if we have the patience to let God lead the way, we know we can’t go wrong. The moments of stillness in our lives are precious and worth enjoying. So take some time, and Be Still.
“Be still, and know that I am God”. Psalm 46:10 NIV