Do you have a love-hate relationship with stillness?
I sure do! To me, the concept of “stillness” is attractive, yet unproductive. I love to get things done. I like to work hard. I like to accomplish stuff. Which brings me to a piece of Scripture from David that has always bothered me. If I could remove a verse from the Bible, Psalms 46:10 might be in my top 10.
I wish Psalms 46:10 read “Slow down, and know that I am God.” It doesn’t. It says, “Be still,” but slowing down seems like a better choice – or at least an option to catch my breath before getting something else accomplished. Being still is difficult for me. It’s counterintuitive. I’m a progress addict, so the thought of being still makes me nauseous. How can I make progress if I’m busy not being busy?
I’ve spent much of my life believing that progress and productivity is correlated to pace. I’ve heard people claim that being busy didn’t necessarily equal productivity (work smarter, not harder, they would always say), but in the end, I thought those people were just a tad lazy. The kind of people who looked forward to taking naps more than making a difference (BTW – I hate naps!). While I now realize that is not completely true, I still have a hard time completely trusting that stillness is helpful or necessary.
Even if I go all hyper-spiritual, progressing in my faith takes effort. Being still seems to be effortless. Passive.
But God doesn’t want us to just slow down. He’s asked us to be still. Still. Be still. Right now. Count to 10, then stop counting and be still. Be quiet.
Why would David write this? Maybe there’s a reason. If I’m honest, God has got a lot accomplished over the years, including creating the universe, leading a million Israelites out of Egypt, and knitting us together in our mother’s womb. I noticed in the Bible that God was still from time to time. At one point, he was quiet for 400 years (just ask the Israelites). I think there’s a reason he wants us to be still. Here’s my best guess, and it’s found in the second part of this verse.
To “know that I am God.” God is God, and I am not (I often need to be reminded myself of this truth). When I am still, that truth becomes much more clear, but when I get too busy, it’s easy to forget. I guess if you don’t need God for direction, encouragement, and hope, then by all means keep the pedal to the metal. But for me, I’m going to try and be still a little more often. To listen for God’s whispers. To remember whose will is the best will – whose understanding is the best understanding. In doing so, I hope my times of stillness create more productive times of motion.
What would it look like for you to intentionally find stillness each day? I’d love to know your plan. You can comment below, and maybe even share this thought so we can learn from each other.
