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Rest for the Busy
It's the holiday season, and we're busier than ever. How do we calm ourselves down enough to find some alone time with God? Denise discusses her struggle to be still.
On the Go
So, I've been trying to write this article for weeks now. It is currently the day before it needs to be finished, and I am finally getting around to it. What on earth has taken me so long — is it because I procrastinate? Umm … yes. But also, it has honestly just been difficult to find the time to get it done. Life is hectic, and writing an article that's at least semi-thoughtful takes some time. Time that often gets filled with other things.
After church on Sunday, I was talking to my friend, Carrie, about how I needed to get home to work on this article. I told her I wasn't sure how to focus it, and she promised to pray for some divine inspiration for me. As I was walking away, she suggested I write about the necessity of being still, of finding alone time for just yourself and God. What does that stillness look like? she asked. How do we do it in today's mile-a-minute society? I thanked Carrie for the suggestion, but honestly, I wasn't convinced that it needed to be addressed. Then I tried to get home to write this article.
On my way, I had to do a few "quick" errands. First of all, finding a parking spot at the mall took about 83 hours. All of the stores were crammed full of people who were doing their Christmas shopping. (I, of course, haven't even started mine.) I couldn't find what I wanted at any of the stores, but when I finally did, I decided not to buy it because the checkout line literally went all the way out the store. People were bumping into me left and right, but in the spirit of Christmas, I resisted the urge to punch them all in the face.
Back in my car, I almost got into an accident because I was driving too fast and began to slide on the ice into traffic. By the time I finally dropped off my overdue rent check and got back to my apartment, I was completely worn out. Never mind that I hadn't eaten anything yet, my room was buried in clothes and skiing equipment, and I still had a million things to do before I went to work the next day.
As I picked up my laptop and cleared off a spot on the couch, I remembered Carrie's idea of "being still." Suddenly the topic seemed quite relevant, and I figured I should probably listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and give her article idea a shot.
The Busy Life
Life is crazy. You all will be dealing with finals over the next few weeks — no time to be still. We are constantly busy, and if we're ever not busy, we're considered slackers. Just think of college applications — the more activities you have under your belt, the better your chances of being accepted. Besides maintaining your GPA, you should be working a part-time job, volunteering somewhere, and a member of as many sports teams and clubs as possible. And aside from these pressures, you probably want to hang out with friends whenever you can — or at least write on their Facebook walls.
And sometimes we Christian women think we have to be busy to meet all the expectations we're faced with. We should get an education, of course. And we should get married and have kids. And decorate and make meals and be excellent hostesses. I mean, look at our friend (and prototype), Mrs. Proverbs 31. She certainly never took time away from her busy schedule of selecting wool and flax and making linen garments. And so we assume stillness is just not an option.
We have been trained to be busy. We've become accustomed to cell phones, iPods, traffic noise, television, and so on. Even as I sat down to write this article, I had a Christmas CD playing, something baking in the oven, and the Internet up and running. And please don't even think of asking me to turn off my cell phone while I write this — what if I miss a call?!
Finding rest is a difficult — sometimes next to impossible — task. And I know that for me, the busyness, whether it's physical or mental, can be overwhelming. One of the ways I tend to overwhelm myself most often is through worrying. It just comes naturally. And this is just my personal opinion, but I think we girls may have the tendency to worry about things more than guys do. Perhaps guys are just clueless (can I get an "amen"?) and, lucky for them, ignorance is bliss. But as a girl, I am always planning, always analyzing (conversations, relationships, my figure), always doing. I sometimes think the way we are wired makes it hard for us to be still — to find peace.
So, how do we calm ourselves down — how do we hear God's voice and quiet ourselves enough to find the peace and rest we need?
Be Still, Soul!
I obviously don't have all the answers here, and it seems to me that finding rest is actually hard work (isn't it ironic?). Whatever pulls us away from being still — whether it's worrying about our future or our relationships, or studying for all those tests — it takes a conscious effort to step back and put it all in God's hands.
One of my very favorite passages of Scripture is Psalm 62. In it, David reminds himself that God is his only peace. Take a look:
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down — this leaning wall, this tottering fence? They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him (Psalm 62:1-5, NIV, emphases mine).
Notice that David starts out by telling us that his soul finds rest in God, and then, only a few verses later, it is almost as if he has to remind — command! — his soul to be at peace, to find its rest in God. We must constantly remind our worried minds and busy bodies to relax.
C O F F E E S H O PIn past articles, I've encouraged us to be in community because I think it is a biblical principle. I feel as though we can best love the Lord and love our neighbor through our intentional interaction with other people. But we must also find time to be on our own, to be still before the Lord. He has given us His Holy Spirit to live within us, and we all too often forget to sit and listen to what He has to say.
Make the time to be alone with God. Turn down an invitation to go out with friends. Leave those dishes undone for an hour longer. Be still before the Lord, and take the time to hear His voice — His still, small voice.
Denise Morris is an Editor for TrueU.org and authors content for the Women's Hall and Student Lounge. Denise earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and Spanish from the University of St. Thomas. She has written and edited for some small and some large publications; spent time in Spain learning how to make tapas; cheers for Minnesota sports teams (especially the Timberwolves); likes to debate; and enjoys spending time with friends and/or enemies.
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