I was speaking on Psalm 46 a few weeks ago, mostly on “Be Still and Know that I am God.” I thought it would be a good idea to make sure that all the ladies I was speaking to had a shared understanding of what stillness actually is, so we turned to the dictionary.
The KJV Dictionary says this:
STILLNESS, n.
- Freedom from noise or motion; calmness; quiet; silence; as the stillness of the night, the air or the sea.
- Freedom from agitation or excitement;
I wrote my whole talk, including this section where I had planned for the ladies to stop and talk about other words we could use to describe stillness, like hushed, serene, tranquil, or inactive – and opposite kinds of words too, like anxious, disturbed, agitated, noisy, fussed, distracted, clamoured…
Right before I was about to speak, I read my notes back over and noticed something I had missed altogether. Did you catch the word that repeated in the definition? I hadn’t seen it the first seven or eight times I looked at it! It was like my eye bounced right over it and I almost missed it.
Stillness is freedom.
It’s right there at the start of each definition, yet I nearly missed it!
Being still before God is choosing to enter into freedom from the worry, anxiety, pressure and noise that would steal my peace.
And, I use that term “choosing” very intentionally, because stillness for me is HARD and entering into it requires a choice. It feels like it shouldn’t, but it does.
In my mind, there’s a kind of stillness math that basically boils down to this equation:
Physical Stillness + Mental Stillness + Emotional Stillness = Spiritual Stillness
I’m bad at this kind of math! Usually, this is how this plays out for me. First, I get myself physically still, but as soon as I’m ready for some quality quiet time with the Lord, and my body is still, my brain will suddenly decide its time to download. I’ll start wondering whether I locked the door, I’ll remember that I was supposed to buy milk and call for an appointment, and if given enough space, I’ll move to bigger things – like problem solving and life planning.
I’ve also discovered that staying very active either physically or mentally keeps my brain from having to process anything emotionally, so if I do actually get to a point of being physically and mentally still, I’m suddenly emotionally aware too – and stillness remains a step beyond my grasp.
I genuinely believe that stillness is intended to be freedom – to release the cares of the world and enter into fellowship with God – but it is also a discipline that takes practice and intentionality.
If you are struggling to be still – either physically, mentally or emotionally, consider practicing being still. There are lots of ways to start. Try simply sitting and being silent. If silence is hard at first, try playing worship music very softly in the background. Take several deep breaths. Be aware of the quiet. Be mindful to not allow your to-do list to start yelling at you.
If doing a more guided exercise would be helpful, consider trying this… In his book 24/6: A prescription for a Heathier, Happier Life, Dr. Matthew Sleeth suggests a meditation using the words of Psalm 46:10. You begin by saying the whole line, and then remove one word at a time until you come to the last word.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know that I.
Be still and know that.
Be still and know.
Be still and.
Be still.
Be.
Don’t rush through this. Allow your mind to slowly embrace stillness with each line, and when you finish the meditation just sit and enjoy a moment of simply being.
Do you have a strategy for quieting your heart and mind and embracing stillness? Please share it here or jump over and join our facebook group to join in the discussion and to see an affiliate link for Dr. Sleeth’s book. We are here to support and encourage one another!
Be. yes, this is my favorite, to just be… to abide… in this moment, with Him, beautiful post ❤
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Thank you Amelia. It’s harder than it seems (and super important), this act of just being… I keep practicing!
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This is awesome. I’ve never thought of stillness this way before. And the break down of the verse 🙌🏽🙌🏽
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I am glad you appreciated it. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about stillness lately. I’ve got one more post coming on Psalm 46. Watch for it in the next couple of days!
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Will do
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Thank you for a profound and helpful piece. I have been doing releasing for a while now and one of the components is the idea of stillness leading to emotional freedom. Now that I am seeking a spiritual path and trying to get better acquainted with God, it’s amazing how many parallels there are.
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That is amazing, I’m not familiar with releasing, but am not surprised there are parallels. So much of my spiritual life is about learning to trust, release, and rest knowing that God is in control.
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This is great! And so true. And so on-time for me. Even in my stillness, I find myself still allowing some sort of noise, be that mental or actual. I’ve actually found that sitting in my car for a bit after I’ve turned it off in my driveway is turning into a bit of a sacred space – a place without screens and without distractions of chores or to-do lists or work or anything 🙂 A place where I can just ‘be’ in the presence of the Lord. My car, of all places!
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Oh my goodness, I totally do that too! A few minutes almost every time to stop my car… I wrote a post today about my car and commute (but it’s about when I’m driving, not catching those quiet minutes when I turn off the car. Lol. My commute post is here: https://seekingsabbath.ca/2018/10/26/smart-and-simple-solution-5-set-the-tone/
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I study Hebrew words Psalm 46:10 has root words that are the same as rapha, healer. It is literally like let go and falling prostrate. We definitely need to be still.
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I’m not quite as far along as studying Hebrew! I did learn a lot about the meaning of that verse and how easily it gets pulled out of context. That’s my next post… due out by Tuesday!
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I hope to read it, visit me anytime.
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I love this! Especially the reference to freedom. And it’s true. I’m never as free as when I’m practicing stillness in the presence of the Lord. Thanks for your insight
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Thank you for your comment. I agree. Practicing stillness in the presence of the Lord really does bring freedom for me!
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