Just the very thought of pressing pause on life for a moment in order to breathe and to be still can make us feel anxious. We have become so accustomed to fast-paced living that we forget to take time out to rest, relax, and recharge. Our heads and hearts are constantly filled with noise and anxious thoughts – to the point where we don’t even know to think straight.
I know I struggle with the thought and concept of “slowing down” or “being still”. I feel guilty when I am resting, or when I find myself catching a moment to just breathe. Funny that we feel guilty at the thought of resting… Why do we feel guilty when it comes to doing things that nourish our very souls ? Why do we believe the lie that we are not worthy of rest? It’s almost like we need to prove our worth by being busy – so busy “being busy” that we burn out.
God has really challenged me lately when it comes to resting and being still. I was constantly on the go, trying to “do it all” when all of a sudden I worked myself to a big breakdown. All the things that I was trying to juggle collapsed all around me, and I could not find the strength or the willpower to pick up the pieces.
BE STILL
In that time where I felt very broken, very lost, so unworthy, and felt like failure, that I felt God say to me “Be still”. I fought with God: “I can’t be still, God, I’ve got things to do!” Then God said again, “Be still”. I wrestled with it, but I decided to try it out – “being still,” that is.
I sat on the beach one morning and said to God: “Okay, I’m being still God… now what?” There was silence, just pure silence. There I was, sitting on the sand, staring at the waves, and I was conscious of my breathing. I felt a deep sense of calm and peace fill my heart and mind. Then after a while, I heard God say to me:
“It will be okay, The wind and waves still know my name!”
In my brokenness, in my mess, I knew that I was not alone. I knew that I was worthy of being fixed. I was worthy of His love. That no matter where I am at, or what state I am in, He sees me, and He will always meet me where I am at.
I knew in those moments that being still in His presence meant that I had to be intentional about it, and that I had to change my attitude that I had towards resting and being still. When we are intentional about being still in God’s presence, we allow ourselves to rest in Him. When we are still in God’s presence, we are more open to hearing the voice of God speak to us.
Be intentional about resting. Rest with the intention of being still, so that you can hear what it is that God is trying to tell you. Let Him comfort, guide, and refresh your soul.