Be Still...

By: Francis Zafico - Outreach Worker in St. James Town

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10

In this verse, God is telling us to let go, to be quiet, and to be physically & mentally still. For most of us stillness, silence, and serenity are difficult to find. Even when we are able to find it externally, it can still be tough to cultivate stillness internally. Life is so busy and there so many things happening around us.

It is not only difficult to make the time to be still, but it is also difficult to create stillness in our mind and body. The idea of being still goes against what we naturally, and culturally, do. Our inclination is to step on the gas and go full speed ahead, believing that doing more, and having more, makes us more complete; this can even be true for us who serve in ministry. Instead, God tell us to hit the brakes and be still. If we are busy being busy, God's voice can be nearly impossible to hear, but the problem is that many times we view being still with God as inactivity. It is critical to our faith to realize that the more we are deliberately still:

• the more we hear God's voice,
• the better we recognize God's activity,
• the smaller our issues seem,
• the bigger God appears,
• and the more we follow God's divine purpose for us, instead of just our own agendas, ideas, and abilities.