The Gift of Stillness (Pt 2)
For Part 1 of The Gift of Stillness, click here.
We Resist Stillness
Some reason, we tend to resist stillness. Maybe it’s because it isn’t something we deem absolutely necessary. If and when we do acknowledge how much we need it, we still often think it’s optional, proven by the fact that we come up with all sorts of reasons why we can’t attain or receive this gift. Why is that?
I think it comes down to control. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” From this verse, it seems to suggest that being still is somehow connected to believing, understanding, and accepting in a deep way that there is a God, and that God is God. Or to put it another way: That there is a God and it’s not me.
But believing the above sentence, much less acting like we believe it, can be challenging. Technically we know we’re not God, but then we act like it by trying to control everything. To a finite human being with needs, wants, limitations, and a set capacity, the word to “Be still and know that God is God” is not good news if you believe life is all up to you. Even if someone doesn’t believe this, the level of dependency a revelation like this creates is a hard sell in a world that says you are master.
But being in charge of everything is wearying. This is why choosing stillness is often the first step to finding rest as we lay down the old messaging and opt for a different, better narrative that says, “Wait…I don’t think life is meant to be (or can be!) lived this way.” And when we embrace the true narrative, not just in our words, but in our actions, our resistance to stillness fades and we experience it as the gift it is.
The Fruit of Stillness
And that’s exactly what stillness is—a gift. Something to say yes to and receive. And it is stillness that the Lord offered to Elijah in addition to meeting him with bread and water when he was at the end of his rope.
So God met Elijah with physical nourishment and soul care. What form did that soul care take? A long walk. But not just a long walk, a walk that positioned his weary heart to identify God’s speaking. And when Elijah was in the emotional space where he could hear and receive from the Lord, God spoke in much greater detail than he had up to that point.
Prior to, the Lord had simply told Elijah to arise and eat because the journey ahead was too great for him. But when Elijah got to Mount Horeb after the 40-day trek, God told Elijah to leave the cave and stand on the mountain before the Lord so he could speak to Elijah. After all the displays that typically accompanied evidence of God’s presence in the Old Testament, the detailed direction God knew Elijah needed came via quiet voice.
The account of what happened next goes like this, and it can be found in 1 Kings 19:13-18.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Why didn’t the Lord tell Elijah to anoint Elisha as the prophet to follow him when Elijah was under the broom tree and asking to die? When Elijah stated that he was no better than his fathers, why didn’t God promptly respond and tell Elijah that he wasn’t the only one who was loyal to him, but that there were 7,000 men and women who remained committed to loving and following the Lord?
Because there are some things that a person can only believe and receive once they are still. Stillness brings precious fruit—the type of fruit that can open the door to not only peace, but also much-needed direction for the future. This is one reason why it is so wise to cultivate internal stillness.
Below is a list of some of the other fruit stillness offers:
Greater self-awareness so that we can get a pulse on what we really need so that, when God asks us, “What’s going on?” or “What do you need?” we can answer accurately because we are tuned in.
The ability to hear and discern what God is saying and identify where he is showing up
A pathway that makes finding clarity and receiving answers possible
The grace to see the best strategy and action to take (and the grace to trust it!)
The peace of mind needed to do the hard work of releasing all outcomes to God
Pathways to Cultivate Stillness
Though we tend to resist stillness, I’ve found that naming this tendency to avoid it equips and helps me push through and choose it anyway.
And by “choose it anyway”, I mean choosing the things that help move me towards stillness and cultivate it in my life. You can think of this as just starting somewhere rather than trying to jump into stillness all of sudden. It is rather like the long walk Elijah went on before he ever got to the quiet cave.
So what is your long walk? What helps you begin to settle into stillness? What helps you cultivate inner quiet?
There are a variety of pathways to stillness, which I love. God, knowing that different personality types will enter into stillness in different ways, provides different routes, but the neat thing is that they can all lead us closer to him and help us rest in him.
Here is a list of a few practices that I’ve tried at different times, and have helped me move towards and settle into Christ-centered stillness.
Silence – Like for real. Just quiet. No talking. This looks like putting your phone on silent and leaving it in another room. It also looks like no podcasts or Spotify or tv in the background for…well as long as you can manage. I start with 3 minutes and usually it naturally extends from there. Set a timer, and you may be surprised to find that, once it rings you are hungry for more and that it’s easier to relax in the quiet.
Solitude – Take yourself on a half-day or full day retreat with God. The goal is to just enjoy being with him. You don’t have to produce anything from your time together (which can be really HARD to accept because we live in a world that assesses one’s value by how productive they are).
Space – Give yourself some space…perhaps physical space from your everyday life by venturing into the kind of nature you enjoy and love—the woods, a walk around your neighborhood, the beach. When we behold the beauty of God’s creation, our words become few. As awe is given the chance to breathe and take up the space we usually reserve for our worries and cares, our speech and the chatter in our minds get to encounter the grace of stillness too.
Be still – Literally sit down or lie down. Your choice, but get in a comfortable position. And if you fall asleep, praise God. You probably needed it because…
Sleep – Is one very practical way to enter into stillness. Going to bed earlier or taking a nap is not being irresponsible or weak. It’s being a healthy human who has accepted that your body needs rest. After all, as Psalm 23 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”
Simplicity – Maybe one way to enter into stillness for you will be to decide that it’s okay to do (or have) what is enough. There is a freedom that is found when we opt for what is sufficient over the push and drive for more. It brings a stillness…stillness to your schedule, stillness to your wallet and finances, and stillness to your decision-making because doing the very next step is all that you really need to do or know right now.
Song – Listen to encouraging words sung over you. Or, you can sing them to yourself as a gateway to stillness.
Surrender – Entrust and give it (whatever it is) to Jesus because of the reality of Psalm 46:10, Psalm 23, and Romans 8:28. Stillness is less about trying to make it make sense. It’s more about deciding to trust in the middle when there aren’t any answers yet.
Stop and Slow Down – This simply means pause. Pause between activities and leave transition time in your schedule. When you pull up to your house, sit in the car for a few minutes before entering the house (without using this time to catch up on texting people back). Pick the longer line in the grocery story just so you can slow down.
Supplication – This is fancy speak for, “Ask your Shepherd for what you need or want.” Something about asking and acknowledging brings stillness. You don’t need to put on a whole bunch of qualifiers on your request. The Lord is actively concerned about you and wants to hear from you—he will sort it out and will always provide the very best for you and the things in line with his heart and way.
Scripture – Pick a passage and read it aloud or have it read to you. Not to study, but just to hear and let the Holy Spirit work in your heart, mind, and spirit.
The World Needs Your Stillness
The above list offers suggestions that all happen to start with the Letter ‘S’ because that’s how they came to me (yes, I grew up going to Baptist churches and they love them some alliteration, haha). Perhaps there are other things you would include on this list and that’s great. If it moves you towards rest in God, then opt for that pathway.
One final thought: The practice of stillness doesn’t make you boring or irrelevant (for those of you who fear being either). It will make you different though, but in a good way...in a way the world really needs. We really need more people whose presence and quality of inner quietness, help us unclench our jaws, unfurl our grip, and find peace in God.
We need to encounter the fruit that this kind of living bears—and then also cultivate it in our own lives. As you allow for greater stillness in your life, this is what you will discover for yourself (a win). It will also position you to become someone who is able to offer this to others (a double win).
So which pathway will you try today? You don’t need to do all of them. Just pick one or two to try. Some can be practiced each day. For others, however, you may want to try them out on a weekly or monthly basis.
Whatever pathway you choose, may you experience the good fruit that comes from cultivating the grace and gift of stillness—fruit like discernment, direction, rest, and hope, to name a few!
Kemi