"Be Still"

I have so much trouble slowing down in life, and I know most people do too. Our society has trained us to think that we constantly have to be doing something in order to be productive or useful. This could be studying, exercising, spending time with people, or working. Living like this makes it impossible to feel and abide in God's presence. John 15:4 says "abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me." Jesus is telling us that no matter how hard we work or how much we fill our time, we can never be truly productive unless we abide in Him. And how do we abide in Him on a daily basis? "Be still."

It seems like the opposite of being productive. But slowing down and spending time with God daily with no distractions is crucial, because "apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Spending time in prayer and in God's word is not only helpful in making us effective for God's purpose, it's also deeply satisfying. Reading the Bible might not be as instantly gratifying as other things can seem, like boys, exercise, or substances, but it truly fills a hole in our hearts that nothing else can. The more you read your Bible and spend quiet time with God, the more you begin to crave it every day. Only Jesus can satisfy - we just have to be willing to BE STILL long enough to abide in His presence. I've found that the more quality time I spend with Jesus, the more I take delight in following Him and living my life to glorify Him!

I think it's useful to try and identify the things in our lives that we dedicate the most time to, and then compare our dedication to these things with our dedication to Christ. Doing this can help us recognize when we are idolizing things in our lives other than God. I personally have a hard time wanting to spend time with God if I feel like I need to be working out instead. And this reveals the fact that I have an idol in my heart! We should never put anything on earth above God in our list of priorities. Choosing to spend time with God even when we feel the need to be doing something else brings us a satisfaction that nothing else could.

So try and find what helps you feel His presence and delight in Him! I try to spend time every night with God; I read my devotions, a few chapters of my Bible, and write in my prayer journal. Beginning and ending our days in God's presence is the most productive thing we can do. God's word is ALIVE and can save us from any trouble, calm any stress or anxiety, and heal any hurt. We all have a craving for a satisfying life, our problem is that we try to fill this craving with anything besides Jesus. So be still with God, abide in His love, and He will fill the desires of your heart. He's waiting with open arms!

By: Allie Peasley