Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in the church or maybe it’s because of my tendency towards “full-plate” living, but I’ve always wondered at the tension between Psalm 46:10 and the insanely busy lives we lead.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Or maybe it’s because the culture in which we live glorifies “busyness” to the degree that if you’re not busy, something must be wrong. Right? We know this tension. We feel it every day. Someone asks you, “How have you been?”, and how many times have you immediately replied, “Busy!”? It’s almost an addiction. We crave busyness even if we complain about it, and when we find ourselves coming across a moment of stillness, we grab our phones and fill the space with the busyness of other’s lives portrayed on social media.
What is that?!
Just recently, we had some family visiting us from Germany. I have always loved Germany, but perhaps one of my favorite things about it is the pace of life that exists there. It isn’t rushed, not as it is here, anyway. They seem to prioritize “slow” in such a beautiful way. Here in America, our tendency is to fill our daily schedules with as much as possible leaving little to no room for margin. Not so there. And the slower pace affords a sense of peace that is priceless.
Why is it so hard for us to be still? Why do we fight against it? We are quick to voice how exhausted we are when asked, but much slower to do anything about it. Why?
Perhaps we fear the voice we will hear in the silence.
Make no mistake, God is always present, and He is always speaking to us, but the noise of our busy lives can quickly muffle out the sound of His voice. When we still ourselves and quiet ourselves before Him, we are inviting Him to speak directly to us, and unfortunately, some of us don’t want to hear what He might have to say.
Because in the stillness, His voice is clear.
We can no longer conclude that we heard Him wrong or continue justifying the behaviors of our lives anymore when we quiet the noise of our lives long enough for Him to speak into it.
The invitation is clear. It is extended to you and I today. Be still. That’s it. Because in the stillness comes a knowing. A knowing that He is God, and we are not. A knowing that all of our efforts to control and maintain our lives will never strip Him of His sovereignty. A knowing that the peace we are desperate for is afforded to us in His presence.
So, come today, friends. Come and sit at His feet. Come and rest. Come with the affections of your hearts, not the works of your hands. Rest is possible in this racing world, and He wants us to know it
Susan Gilbert says
Thank you for this reminder to come before God & be still, to be quiet, to seek refreshment in Him. I recognize when I make time to be still & quiet, that God is going to bring things to my attention that I need to work on & I’ve learned that it will always benefit me.
Thank you for your thought-provoking messages.