Let me begin by sharing an awesome hymn that we presented this ESSC, which is now a favourite of mine:
Still, my soul, be still and do not fear, though winds of change may rage tomorrow.
God, is at your side; no longer dread, the fires of unexpected sorrow
God, You are my God, and I will trust in You and not be shaken,
Lord, of peace renew, a steadfast spirit within me to rest, in You alone.
Still, my soul be still; do not be moved, by lesser lights and fleeting shadows
Hold, on to His ways, with shield of faith, against temptation's flaming arrows.
God, You are my God, and I will trust in You and not be shaken,
Lord, of peace renew, a steadfast spirit within me to rest, in You alone.
Still, my soul be still; do not forsake, the truth you learned in the beginning
Wait, upon the Lord, and hope will rise, as stars appear when day is dimming
God, You are my God, and I will trust in You and not be shaken,
Lord, of peace renew, a steadfast spirit within me to rest, in You alone.
Still, my soul be still ~
Still, my soul be still ~
Be still.
(By Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend)
Being Still
Recently, I've been working on maintaining a calm & quiet heart despite of being in a busy environment. It is so easy for us to lose sight of God and lose track of ourselves when we are occupied with things of this world.
Especially now as the weather cools down and things begin to pick up for work or school, it's a challenge remaining focused in prayers and preventing our faith from cooling down too.
But have you ever realized how difficult it is to just be still? In an efficiency-seeking society of constant stimulation and endless feeds, it's so rare to just sit there and do nothing. Or sit there and contemplate on the bigger things in life. Or wait for things in general.
It's true. We are often occupied by our daily tasks and routines, and can become too tired or lazy to think about what we are doing or the direction we are heading, much less make meaningful changes to our lives. Sometimes we become so absorbed with our own lives that we forget there's a world outside of our own. We get caught up by small thing and forget to give thanks, to make time to help others, and to meditate on past mistakes or set future goals. We move aimlessly from day to day, and end up wasting a lot of time.
To avoid that, we should stop and take time to be still.
Consider This:
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge."
- Psalm 46:10-11
The bible tell us that, while we are being still, we should think outside of ourselves and towards God.
We should recall who He is, and know that He is above all the earth and transcends all our worldly cares. That job interview? That deadline? Calm down, nothing is too hard for Him. While we are busy trying to make a good impression on others or create a place for ourselves in this world, let us not forget to please the One above who holds all things in His hands. After all, He is God.
We should be reminded that He is with us, and how He has been with us since the beginning. Counting our blessings and giving thanks seem like such trivial things to do, but I often find myself greatly comforted and smiling at the end of it all. As one pastor said, "Thanking God is the beginning of loving God." And as we begin to see His love for us, we learn to love Him and are compelled to change or do more for others.
We should also take comfort in Him as our Refuge because He understands just how hard it gets for us and provided us with prayer time, bible reading & sabbaths. It is during the quiet hours of prayer and bible reading that we examine ourselves and are granted insights and directions anew; and it is during sabbaths when we rest spiritually so we can walk farther and be victorious later.
Set a Time
It's during these times of reflection and personal cultivation that we learn some of the most valuable and important lessons in our lives. So regardless how packed our schedules are, let's set a time to be still. Set a time to pray, to think about God, and to meditate upon how we can change our lives for the better. :) It's not easy, but I'll keep working on it.
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*I had to look up what puerility meant, it refers to childish foolishness or immaturity.
