“Be still and know that I am God (1).
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
It starts with ‘be.’
Just be, dear one.”
–Shauna Neiquist (2)
Moments of quiet, contemplative silence are rare for many people. We’ve been swept up in the cultural norms of productivity: use time wisely and stay on task. Better yet, multi-task.
But there is tremendous power and blessing in stillness.
Quietness of spirit:
- creates space for us to hear God’s voice
- builds bonds of trust between us and God
- accelerates our understanding of God
- revitalizes our spirits
- brings the peace of God to our hearts
Surely these are desirable outcomes that warrant a few minutes each day to just be—in the presence of God.
The question becomes, how do we achieve such a goal when other responsibilities clamor loudly for our attention?
Like any priority, we must make time. Begin with five minutes; you’ll soon be craving more.
Choose a secluded place. For years I sat at our kitchen table early in the morning, before anyone else in the house got up. Now I enjoy the luxury of a private home office. But when the weather allows, I revel in sitting on the deck with God, surrounded by his creation.
Not everyone has such options. I know one young mother who has chosen the bathroom as her place of stillness!
Put your God-given imagination to work. We considered the gift of imagination a couple of weeks ago, in a post titled: Oh, What We’re Missing. You can borrow my visualization if you like–the one I use if quiet time must take place indoors:
Picture a peaceful lake shrouded in morning mist. On a dock are two Adirondack chairs, one for you and one for Jesus. He’s already sitting in his, because he loves to spend quality time with his children. As you settle in your chair, reach out your hand for his. Just sit in companionable silence for a moment.
Another option: picture a place where you’ve experienced Jesus’ peace before, and imagine yourself there with him again.
Be physically still. Relax. The original Hebrew word translated “be still” can also be translated “cease striving.” Take several slow, deep breaths, and prayerfully set aside the to-list and concerns.
Focus on Jesus and contemplate his attributes. When distracting thoughts pop up (and they will!), add them to the to-do list or the prayer list as needed (keep them handy!), then turn back to Jesus.
Remember: He understands how hard it is for us to sit quietly with him; he does not expect perfection. What he does treasure is our persistence to seek him (3).
Listen. “Deep within the center of the soul is a chamber of peace where God lives and where, if we will enter it and quiet all the other sounds, we can hear his gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12)” (4).
You may wish to keep a journal and pen nearby as God reveals impressions in your heart. Perhaps it will just be one word or a single thought at first. Write it down. From that starting point you just might grow a paragraph, or even a page of God-thoughts.
But don’t worry if you hear no whisper. “In God’s presence is peace (Isaiah 26:3), joy (Psalm 16:11), and strength (Proverbs 18:10)—whether words are exchanged or not.
In A Quiet Place in a Crazy World, Joni Eareckson Tada wrote about her Uncle Vince, who had constructed a prayer room complete with fake paneling, some stained glass from an old church, and a couple of old, musty tapestries. The only furniture was a small prayer kneeler and a Bible stand.
Joni remembers thinking it was stuffy and tacky. Years later she realized how wise Uncle Vince was to have a special place where he met Jesus. That was undoubtedly the reason he prayed on the golf course and on his hikes with Joni and her family.
“Uncle Vince encountered God every place, because he had one place,” she wrote (5).
How we need such a place…
…to just be.
It starts with be.
Notes:
- Psalm 46:10
- Shauna Neiquist, Present over Perfect
- Sarah Young, Jesus Always
- L. B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert
- Joni Eareckson Tada, A Quiet Place in a Crazy World
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From the Inside Out 