“To sit in silence before God restores the soul.”
Jan Johnson
So much in my walk with God appears to be paradoxical. In many ways, God’s Kingdom is an upside-down world. What if what our souls need most is to sit still in silence with God, so that we are filled up with Himself, to give Him away in ministry. What if it is being still, that equips us most for ministry and allows us the freedom to be our true selves.
I am increasingly discovering that the practice of stillness is what keeps my soul well. Sitting alone with the Lord gives back to my soul, the essence of who God created me to be. Recently we had the interior of our house painted. Even though I was surrounded by chaos and clutter, my times of being still kept me from becoming overwhelmed and disheartened. I found I could still have peace amidst the disorder.
Our circumstances in life do not determine how our souls are doing. Rather, it is the time we spend alone with God in the quietness that dictates how well our minds, wills, and emotions are handling life. It’s not necessary to pour out our hearts to God or to record the Father’s life-giving words to us in a journal to have healthy souls, although that discipline has merit. It is being still that is the key. Having no agenda or expectations from God, sitting in the quietness of our thoughts, and being focused on the Lover of our souls, are exercises that restore our souls.
Being still is not a waste of time. It is a productive, behind-the-scenes investment into your soul. When your soul is well, all is well, even when it is not. Sin, trials, and sorrow can all rob our souls. But stillness with God can help overturn the effects of each of these.
The psalmist encourages us to apply stillness to our lives. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10b). It is when we are still, that we have a better understanding of who God is, as well as who He has created us to be.
Join me in an experiment this week. When your life becomes cluttered and chaotic, or you experience adversity, don’t try to solve what is going on. Instead, practice being still, alone with God, quieting your thoughts, and see if that changes the condition of your soul. May you be able to genuinely say, “It is well with my soul.”
“Solitude or getting away to be with God in a quiet, open-ended way, is what the disciples repeatedly found Jesus doing.”
Jan Johnson
Relevant Reflections:
1. Spend time being still with God this week. How did it affect your soul?
2. How has solitude and stillness prepared you for ministry?
Image by Ursula Bodnar from Pixabay