The Art of Being Still
“Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalms 46:10)
How many of us find ourselves trying to get ahead of God? Not intentionally, of course! But, maybe He’s placed a dream on your heart, and because He says it’ll be, we assume it’ll be now. I can honestly say that I’ve had my share of moments where things weren’t moving fast enough, in my opinion, so I decided to get ahead of God. Along with my impatience came a lack of peace, the presence of tiredness, and even discouragement. All of which were due to my failed attempts to make something happen before its time.
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God;…” I’ve treated this verse as though it says, “Be still and work. Be still and do everything in your own power to make this thing happen…” yet in my failed attempts to get ahead of God, I often found myself back at the beginning of this verse, “Be still…” because in the stillness I’m able to humble myself and know that God is God and that I am not.
I believe the issue for me was that I feared God not coming through in time or at all. In my mind, I thought it should be now while God was saying, “not yet.” Keeping in mind that “not yet” doesn’t mean “not ever.” It stands to reason that maybe “not yet” is the opportunity for me to practice patience. It also brings with it the opportunity to trust God. What if there’s something more to gain in the waiting? What if there’s a time of preparation needed before the fulfillment of what God has shown you?
Maybe it feels like it’s been forever. I don’t know about you, but I’ve at times found myself “filling” the space in between the waiting with busyness. I’d avoid the place of stillness, thinking that it was a bad thing to be still. But, the truth is that our stillness in God’s presence allows us to hear His still small voice on what to do while we’re waiting for the fulfillment of whatever He’s told us. Being still allows us to keep Him in the position of God, which in turn gives us the peace and the strength to be and to do all that He asks of us.
Being still doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing. Being still is a cease from striving. It’s a submission to God and His will for us being fulfilled at the right time. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, “For everything, there is a season…” A security of sorts for me has been this; God has promised never to leave me nor forsake me. He’s promised that He is with me always. Because that’s true, I don’t have to strive for anything or any place because if God isn’t there, then I don’t want to be there either.
If you’re awaiting the fulfillment of a dream, take time to be still. If you’re tired, take time to be still. If you’re stressed or overworked, remember to be still. Even if all is well, don’t forget to be still. The bottom line is, we all need God, so we must take the time to be still in His presence. Because at just the right time, when our hearts are ready and when God knows we’re ready, the dream will come to fruition. The busyness won’t overwhelm, and His perfect peace will be loudest.
