Be Still, My Soul

“Be still, and know that I am God.” ~Psalm 46:10

Do you feel like your brain is moving from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep? Perhaps sleep doesn’t come easily for you. You lie in bed at night for hours, tossing and turning in your mind, worried about all you didn’t do today and all you must do tomorrow. What causes such restlessness in our minds — such worry, such anxiety, such turmoil?

We could blame the entertainment industry for this problem. The constant barrage of flashing lights and laugh tracks means we are always being stimulated. Cell phones are surely a contributing factor, too. Rings and dings and pings create a near endless tug on our minds and affections. The psychological impact of push notifications is well documented in several studies. Hearing the sound of someone liking your post or sending you a message releases dopamine, creating a feedback loop in your brain. It’s as if the buzz in our pockets creates a buzz in our minds, and we’ve become addicted.

However much blame may justly be attributed to technology, the reality is that we have lost the ability to be still. Stillness used to be considered a spiritual discipline. But what do we mean by stillness? We aren’t talking about what Psalm 1 refers to as meditation: “On His law he meditates day and night…” That word is primarily about chewing on something, as in, “On His law he ruminates day and night…” Instead, stillness — as in Psalm 46 — means to let go, to grow slack, to release. It’s not about gripping God’s Word tightly between your teeth; it’s about opening your hand and entrusting your cares to the Lord.

So much of our anxiety and worry is rooted in our autonomous attempts to wrestle our fears, our desires, and our outcomes into submission. We can’t control the future, but we sure try to do so in our minds! We parse out every little detail of what might happen, and suddenly we find ourselves even more worried about what might NOT happen (or vice versa). We set our sights on outcomes beyond our control, and then we worry about not achieving them. My friend, have you forgotten that the Lord of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our fortress? God is with us, therefore we shall not be moved. He is our strength and help, and He makes glad His people.

The spiritual discipline of stillness is really about entrusting all of life to God. It’s about loosening your grip on your desires, and rather seeking after His kingdom. It’s about releasing your fear of the unknown to His Fatherly care. It’s about letting go of the outcomes you can’t control and entrusting Providence with tomorrow’s details. Is your mind constantly worried, disappointed, in fear of the unknown and uncontrollable? Be still. Remember Who is really in control and how much He loves you.

Rev. Kyle Lockhart, Associate Pastor