We live in a busy world. Constant ads bombard us with things we need to obtain and places we need to go. Not to mention the constant emails and text messages that dictate our day.
Are you feeling me? You know what I’m talking about here, right?
Image via Rama V
The world is constantly pulling us in every direction possible. Our days are so filled there’s no time to relax or be still.
With so much going on, we don’t want to stop. We want to be in constant motion. We want to feel like we’re making progress.
But I’ve found that through all the chaotic motion in our lives, we rarely find the time to be still.
The Allure Of Stillness
Stillness doesn’t sound exciting or thrilling. There’s no action moving us forward like there is in playing a game of football or chatting with friends.
But, even though the world doesn’t glamorize being still, there’s a fascinating allure to being still.
So many people long for stillness but never find a way to be still.
They’d like to have their lives be a little more peaceful. They’d like to have a little more breathing room. They’d like for things to stop piling up.
There’s the allure of stillness. Breathing room. Peace of mind. Calmness.
Why We Need To Be Still
There’s plenty of reasons for us to be still. There’s Biblical reasons for stillness. We’re told to be still in multiple passages of scripture.
Check out:
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Mark 4:39
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
From a Biblical standpoint, we can see that stillness helps us to grow closer to God. He is known in our stillness.
But stillness doesn’t help us only grow closer to God. Stillness can us us recharge and renew and grow closer to those around us.
When I think of stillness, I think of what I needed to do after I ran the 35th annual 5th Third River Bank 25K Run. When I’d completed the grueling 15.5 miles, there were 2 things I know I needed.
The first was to refuel. This meant consuming a large amount of calories to replenish what I’d burnt running all those miles.
The second was rest, or stillness. My body was battered from running such a distance. Parts of my body that I didn’t know I had, ached and yearned for stillness.
This taught me that we can’t keep going full bore. Our bodies and our minds aren’t meant for constant motion. They require rest and stillness.
What You Can Do To Be Still
We know the world is telling us we must be going, going, going or we won’t make much of ourselves. But look at those who are constantly on the go.
You’ll see some miserable people. Their lives are in shambles and their health is in ill-repair.
They’ve neglected the awesome power of being still. But you know that you can be still and still accomplish much.
So, what can you do to be still? Try these simple steps to stillness.
Turn off your cell phone: Our cell phones are a huge distraction. They beep and ding and ring to call for our attention. These signals from our phones are distracting and cause us not to be still.
Learn to shut your phone off. Whether that’s at night before bed or right before dinner time. Give yourself stillness from your phone.
Find a restful place: Our environments are partially to blame for our inability to be still. They’ve got so many conveniences that it’s easy to get distracted by the next shiny object.
That’s why I want to encourage you to get away and find a peaceful place. This could be a local beach or a dark closet in your home that no one goes into.
Find a place where you can be by yourself and undisturbed.
Play relaxing music: One way that I find that causes me to be still is finding pieces of music that touch my soul. This music isn’t fast or loud, rather it’s calming and peaceful.
Is there a piece of music you could listen to that could calm your mind and soul? I’m sure there is. Look for the music and then listen to it.
I think if you try these ways to find stillness, you’ll begin to see more peace, calmness, and stillness in your life. Give it a shot and see how much more stillness can bring into your life.
Question: How do you practice being still? Talk about it in the comment section below and then see what you can learn from someone else.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.