Teach Us to Be Still
"Lord, in this season of waiting, teach us to be still."
Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
Be still, and know that I am God.
Stillness often feels like a luxury we can't afford; a concept at odds with the values of our bustling world that values motion, progress, and constant activity. Yet, as we enter the Advent season, we're invited into a sacred pause, a holy waiting. This waiting isn't passive; it's an active stillness, a deliberate choice to slow down and attune our hearts to God's presence. It is in this place where we often find our truest selves and our deepest connection to God as the noise of the world gets replaced by the still, small voice of our Creator.
Stillness is not merely the absence of noise or movement. It's a state of being, a conscious choice to pause and create space for something greater than ourselves. In stillness, we shed the layers of distraction and busyness that often shroud our hearts and minds. We become like a calm lake, reflecting the sky above - in our stillness, we reflect the image of God more clearly.
The invitation to stillness is not always an easy one to accept. Our minds revolt, flooding the silence with an overwhelming wave of thoughts, worries, and to-do lists. Our bodies fidget, uncomfortable with the lack of motion. We feel the urge to fill the silence. This is normal. Stillness is a skill, one that takes time and patience to develop. Yet, as we persist in stillness, something profound begins to happen. We create space for God to speak. We may not hear an audible voice, but we might sense a nudge of the Spirit, gain a new perspective on a problem, or simply feel a profound sense of being loved and held by our Creator. The noise begins to settle like dust particles slowly drifting to the ground.
We notice things we might have missed in our constant motion - the subtle movements of God in our lives. We discover a deep well of peace lying just beneath the surface noise that has become the soundtrack of our days. This is the gift of stillness - it allows us to experience God not just as an idea, but as a living, present presence in every circumstance we face.
Stillness in Advent is particularly poignant. As we wait for the celebration of Christ's birth and His eventual return, we're invited to mirror the quiet anticipation of Mary, the reflective patience of the shepherds, and the steadfast journey of the Magi. By doing so, we prepare room in our hearts for the arrival of Jesus, not as a distant historical event, but as a present reality breaking into our lives anew.
In embracing stillness, we're not retreating from the world, but rather preparing ourselves to engage with it more fully, more compassionately, and more in tune with the heartbeat of God. We're creating space for wonder, for mystery, for the unexpected ways God might choose to reveal Himself to us in this season of waiting.
Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passage and then spend some time reflecting on the following question:
Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
Be still, and know that I am God.
How might you create space to practice stillness this week?