The Formative Power of Stillness

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, finding moments of stillness can feel like an impossible task. Yet, it's in these quiet moments that we often encounter the most profound spiritual truths. The ancient words "Be still and know that I am God" from Psalm 46 resonate more deeply than ever in our hurried lives.

The Challenge of Stillness

Think about a child at the dinner table, fidgeting and unable to sit still for even a few minutes. Now, consider how this reflects our own lives. We can binge-watch entire TV series without blinking, yet struggle to be still in prayer or meditation for more than a few moments. This restlessness isn't just a modern phenomenon – even King David, ruling a nation under constant threat, recognized the vital importance of stillness in connecting with God.

The Evolution of Busyness

Our struggle with stillness can be traced back to three pivotal inventions: the clock, the light bulb, and the smartphone. The public clock in 1370 shifted us from natural to artificial time. The light bulb in 1879 extended our waking hours. And the iPhone in 2007 gave us a constant connection to the world, resulting in an average of 2,617 touches and 5 hours of screen time daily.

These advancements, ironically promised to increase our leisure time. Instead, they've led to what mental health professionals call "hurry sickness." We're busier than ever, and this hurry has become our new normal.

We're busier than ever, and this hurry has become our new normal.

The Spiritual Cost of Hurry

Dallas Willard, a renowned philosopher, once said that to be spiritually healthy, we must "ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." This statement is profound in its simplicity and challenging in its implementation. Hurry, it seems, is not just a distraction but a significant barrier to our spiritual growth.

A five-year study by Michael Zigarelli found that busyness was the number one distraction from life with God among Christians. This busyness creates a cycle: we conform to a culture of hurry, which marginalizes God in our lives, deteriorating our relationship with Him, making us more vulnerable to secular assumptions about life, which in turn leads to more busyness.

The Invitation to Stillness

The words "Be still" in Psalm 46 come from the Latin "vacate," from which we get the word "vacation." It's an invitation to take a break from playing God in our own lives, to release control, and to simply be.

This stillness isn't just about physical rest; it's about creating space to truly know God and ourselves. When we look at the vastness of the universe – with its billions of galaxies and incomprehensible distances – we begin to grasp the magnitude of God's thoughts and ways compared to our own. As Isaiah 55:9 reminds us, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Rediscovering Our True Selves

In stillness, we not only encounter God's greatness but also rediscover our true selves. King David often reflected on the fleeting nature of human life, not out of depression, but as a liberating truth. In Psalm 39, he asks God to show him how brief life is, recognizing that everyone is "but a breath."

This awareness of our mortality and limitations isn't meant to diminish us. Instead, it highlights the profound love of God. As Psalm 8 beautifully expresses, we are made "only a little lower than God" and "crowned with glory and honor." When we grasp how small we are in comparison to God's greatness, we simultaneously realize how deeply we must matter to Him.

The Transformative Power of Stillness

Stillness in prayer isn't about waiting for dramatic revelations. It's about consent – a daily practice of allowing God to work in and through us. It's in these quiet moments that we give space for love to overcome hate, kindness to flood competition, peace to swallow fear, and joy to wash over jealousy.

Stillness in prayer isn't about waiting for dramatic revelations. It's about consent

In a world that constantly demands our attention and energy, the practice of stillness in prayer offers a radical alternative. It's not just about finding moments of peace; it's about transforming our entire approach to life. By being still, we create space to truly know God, to understand ourselves, and to consent to God's work in our lives.

As we cultivate this practice, we may find that our perspective shifts. The artificial lights of our busy world no longer drown out the heavenly lights of God's power and love. We begin to see the wonder that has always surrounded us but was hidden by our hurry.

Remember, stillness isn't about perfection or immediate results. It's a journey of gradually aligning our hearts with God's presence. As we commit to this practice, we open ourselves to profound transformation – not just in our spiritual lives, but in how we engage with the world around us.

In the quietness, we find strength. In stillness, we discover peace. And in the silence, we hear the whispers of a God who loves us more deeply than we can imagine. So take a moment today, amidst the chaos and noise, to be still and know that He is God. In doing so, you may just find yourself on a journey of spiritual formation that changes everything.

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1. Create a daily ritual: Find an ordinary space and turn it into holy ground. Show up at the same time each day.

2. Start with a simple prayer: "Here I am, Lord."

3. Be still for a few minutes: Resist the urge to evaluate if it's "working." Trust in the practice.

4. Consent to God's work: Allow this time to be an offering, consenting to whatever God needs to do in your life.

5. Be patient: Over time, you may find that your life is no longer ruled by hurry but by love and liberation discovered in stillness.