The Lord is teaching me the art of being still.
I’m not very good at it. I want to know what I have coming up, I want to be on the move. I love the excitement of being busy, of being on the go, the productivity, the adrenaline, I want it all!
But there’s a beauty in just sitting still.
I think of Dot’s line in Sunday In The Park with George during the last few scenes of the musical where she speaks on “the art of being still”.
“[George] meant to tell me to be where I was, not some place in the past or future. I worried too much about tomorrow.”
The art of being still.
It’s something you must practice, something you must fail, and something you must be able to grow into. It won’t happen overnight, but in stillness is when we can hear the Lord the clearest, where we can distinctly hear his voice, where He’s going, and what He wants to do.
I struggle with this, immensely. Stillness means sitting with thoughts or emotions that aren’t comfortable, or ones you don’t want to submit to the Lord. But, giving every thought, every feeling, and emotion to the Lord is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.
It’s not in our control anymore, it’s in His.
Now, that’s how does that translate practically? We can’t physically give God our thoughts.
Practically, take a step back from the world. Maybe that’s limiting your social media intake, taking account of who’s in your close circle, or logistically figuring out how you spend your time.
I think of Romans 12:1-2 which says,
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
I mostly want to highlight verse 2, but it makes sense to have the whole chunk of scripture, you know?
The Passion Translation says,
“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.”
Because of the gift that is Jesus and the gospel, we don’t have to be perfect or do anything to win God’s love. But, what a gift it is to experience God on a deeper, relational level when we sit still with Him, meditating on scripture or being open to listening.
This is hard.
It’s very counterculture to the hustle and bustle of life. Going through the hustle and bustle is also hard. By choosing to be still, we get to see more of the picture God's painting in our lives, filled with color and light.
Yorumlar