We’re used to being busy. Society says if you’re busy you’re productive. If you’re not busy, then you’re not productive. You’re not doing enough. The busier we are, the more productive we’re said to be, however, how many of us know that’s not true?
Instead of busyness, we are faced with stillness. You ever do a speed run on the treadmill and then you stop instantly once you pull the red cord or the emergency stop button? That’s our lives! We were going and going and going, doing and doing and suddenly life stopped…just like that in an instant.
So what do we do now? Psalm 46:10 has been heavy on my mind this week. It says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” What does it mean to be still? According to Google, below are a few words to define still:
- Not moving or making a sound
- Motionless
- Quietness
- Silence
- Calm
- Settle
Worship music has been a constant for me during this time of social distancing and quarantining. The other day, I ran across the great Fred Hammond’s soul-stirring rendition of God Is My Refuge. Press play below to take a listen…
When I connect the two sentiments of being still and God is my refuge and strength, I can be still because I know God is my refuge and my strength. I trust him implicitly. I know he’s got me! Here’s the thing; even in our stillness, God is working, he’s moving. So what does it mean to be still? The website Gotquestions.org explains it like this:
Be still. This is a call for those involved in the war to stop fighting, to be still. The word still is a translation of the Hebrew word Rapa, meaning “to slacken, let down, or cease.” In some instances, the word carries the idea of “to drop, be weak, or faint.” It connotes two people fighting until someone separates them and makes them drop their weapons. It is only after the fighting has stopped that the warriors can acknowledge their trust in God. Christians often interpret the command to “be still” as “to be quiet in God’s presence.” While quietness is certainly helpful, the phrase means to stop frantic activity, to let down, and to be still. For God’s people being “still” would involve looking to the Lord for their help (cf. Exodus 14:13); for God’s enemies, being “still” would mean ceasing to fight a battle they cannot win.
I don’t know what you’d say but I say all frantic activity has stopped for now especially in frantic NYC. Will it continue once this is over? I’m sure it will, however, I hope it continues differently. My prayer and my hope are that we come out of this with a stronger sense of purpose.
Now would be a great time to take stock of our lives and push the reset button although it seems like it was automatically pushed for us. A few questions I ponder often are:
- What has my life been about up until this full stop?
- Why did I wake up every day?
- What matters in my life?
- Who matters in my life?
- How am I using my time?
- How do I want to use my time moving forward?
- What does God want me to do with the rest of my life?
Lots of thinking, shifting and reprioritizing are on my mind. Something about this makes me feel invincible I mean when I look over my life then add this to the mix, if I make it through this unscathed, I feel like there is nothing I can’t make it through especially with the Lord on my side!
A fearlessness has risen in me and I feel ready for whatever lies ahead once this pandemic is over, yet I’ve surrendered completely to it. Would I like it to be over today? Sure, however, if it’s not, I’ll be fine until whenever it is.
In closing, I leave you with this thought; God created you and me with a purpose. If we don’t know what it is, I hope we use this time of stillness; this time of no frantic activity to seek God’s purpose for our lives so that when this is over, we can get on with the business of living it every single day. Then and only then will our lives have meaning beyond measure.
Something to think about…
What say you? What questions are you pondering during this pandemic? How does being still look to you? Is being still difficult for you?
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