Be still and know

By Klaus Döring

“Be still and know that I am God,” the first half of Psalms 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. This interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord. “Be still’ means to stop striving, stop fighting, and relax. It also means to “put your hands down.” Sometimes we put our hands up to defend ourselves from all that life can bring our way.

Like many Bible verses, this one  is often ripped from its context to declare something not intended in the passage itself. Well-meaning Christians may use this as a consolation in times of worry and frustration – as if God is saying, “Relax, I got this.”

In other words: Be still and stop your running to and fro. Slow down. Slow down long enough!

Why is it important to be still?

Being still is like replenishing the stores. It allows us time and space. It gives us time and space to self-reflect and actually hear our thoughts.

Yes, we are living in a noisy and hectic world. We also become noisy and hectic, many times. No time for rewinding and turning off the daily din and racket. We all become noisy people and troublemakers. Have you noticed it already?

Making time for moments of stillness can have powerful mental health benefits.

Today, stillness can be hard to come by. There’s just so much going on. So much noise both inside and outside our brains, so many tasks on our to-do lists, and at least several screens within reach.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, stillness is “the quality of being quiet and not moving.”

Moments of stillness are possible even on the busiest of days. They are within our reach whenever we need them.

So many times, our relationships with partners, friends, relatives, work mates and neighbors get cracked. Be still and know.

Slow down long enough to hear God’s voice, too. There is indeed so much God if we only would slow down long enough to hear His voice. We are so overwhelmed with our earthly desires that all we think of is.

Yes, God, I want You to do this for me, and I want it now!

Breathe. Taking slow, deep breaths induces the parasympathetic system and slows your heart rate. Practice when you need it. Schedule stillness.  Listen to soft music. Learn to wait quietly on Him. When you begin to grasp something of our Lord’s true greatness, you will be truly amazed.

Be still and know.

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