Finding the STILLNESS
Sometimes I wish that there was a button I could press that would put EVERYTHING going on in my life on hold, so that I could find a quiet spot and spend time with the Lord. Forget the laundry, forget putting the baby to bed or making a bottle, or all of the responsibilities that I carry as a wife, mom, and working woman. It feels like an uphill battle sometimes - I might clean our living room and then 10 minutes later, it’s right back to the disaster it was before. How does that even happen?!
In the chaos of life, it can be hard to find God’s voice. It can be hard to draw near to His presence and just allow your soul to be refreshed.
1 Kings 19:11-13 says,
Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain of the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah?
Of all of the places and ways God chose to reveal himself in that moment, it wasn’t in the midst of chaos or a loud display. It was in the stillness, and it was a soft whisper.
God waits for moments to whisper to us.
Maybe I’m stating the obvious here, but it takes stillness to hear the quiet whispers. We live in such a driven, fast-paced society. While there are great benefits to this kind of lifestyle, it robs us from the quiet moments sometimes. Choosing to make time to be still goes against our norm, which means it takes effort and intentionality.
What will it take for you to find the stillness you need in your life?
I’m asking you, but I’m really asking myself too. Time with the Lord isn’t negotiable. It’s as necessary for our spirit as food and water is to our bodies. And, I don’t know about you, but the chaos and craziness of life is one of the main reasons why I need time alone with the Lord. It’s my safe place, my retreat, and where I go to process life.
There was a time in my life where I had the ability to spend a lot of time with God. When I was in school, I had a lot more freedom in my schedule where I could spend at least an hour or two reading my Bible, in prayer, and journaling. Wow, what a dream, right?! After that season came to a close and extended time like that wasn’t normal in my schedule, I really wrestled with the loss. I actually mourned that season for a long time, thinking that I would never be that committed to God again, would never have that kind of relationship with Him again…. until He spoke.
What did He say? The best lies ahead, not behind you. There will be different seasons of life, so don’t mourn one when you don’t know what’s ahead of you. God can do just as much, if not more now than he did in that small season. Do you remember the story of the widow that gives the two coins? Even though there were many around her giving much more than she ever could, the little that she gave was all she had, and thus, had greater significance. I think the same applies to the time we spend with God. It’s not about minutes counted, or boxes checked. It’s about the quality. Are you coming in to the presence of God with the right heart? Do you mean business, or are you just trying to graze past it so you can say it’s been done?
Come as you are. Whether you have hours or minutes, God just wants time with you. Give what you have and let God move. But, find time to be still. Find time to listen, and do whatever it takes to get that time. For me, I’ve resorted to waking up at 5:30 am so that I can have extra time in the morning with the Lord. If I don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen. Which leads me to my next point - give yourself grace. It’s so easy to get racked with guilt and maybe even feel like you don’t measure up to those around you. You may be setting a standard for yourself that is just plain unrealistic in the season you are in. Do your best, but don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself caught up in the chaos and missing time with God. Just come ready for the next day - even if it means setting two or three alarms to ensure it happens (this is my every day). The times I’ve missed, when I get back into the presence of God, He tells me how glad He is to see me, not how annoyed He was at me not being there the day before. He’s got grace abounding.
I hope this week, you’re able to find stillness. I hope that in the stillness, you hear God’s voice more clearly than you ever have before, and that He speaks LOVE and PURPOSE over you.
You are such a blessing!
Much Love,