Over my desk at the office hangs one of my most prized possessions.
I don’t know how much it is actually worth in currency, but it is priceless to me for two reasons. First, it was a gift from my wife early in our marriage; a monumental encouragement to me as I began walking the path of my calling.
Second, the message it proclaims is one that I truly cannot hear/see too often, and one that I ultimately can’t live without. It sheds light on a sobering truth about me, and a spectacular truth about the One who made me.
Funny thing about truth … it is often hardest to receive or embrace when it most obviously exposes my greatest deficiencies and/or needs. Nevertheless, I recognize that I only put myself in greater peril when I ignore or diminish whatever truth I’m being given. In the words of Dan Allender, “No one will ever experience what is possible if they fail to engage what is true.” (The Deep-Rooted Marriage)
The gift Kimberly gave me years ago was a literal message embossed in gold lettering on a worn swath of parchment, mounted on a crimson-colored backdrop, and bordered in an elegant golden frame. She borrowed the powerful phrase from a song composed by an ancient group known as The Sons of Korah.
Though short and sweet – only eight words – their lyric speaks volumes about the human condition and to the human heart.
“Be still and know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10a
I trust I’m not alone when I say that being still sounds like a wonderful luxury, but one that few, if any of us, can afford. And, in the next breath, I can say that stillness – as I understand it here – is hardly a luxury, and most definitely a necessity.
So, what does being “still” look like? Is it inactivity? If so, to what degree? What about all of the roles and responsibilities I have? Most, if not all, given me by the One mentioned in said lyric. How can I reconcile all that is required of me as a man, husband, father, brother, pastor, friend, mentor (you get the picture) with whatever it means to “be still?”
Surely it can’t mean literally inactive … unless it is referring to something like the Sabbath; a period of time during which usual responsibilities are momentarily suspended in order to make room for other responsibilities.
I have a hunch that the directive speaks mostly to a posture, which inevitably leads to practical implications, some of which look like inactivity. Perhaps God is calling me to approach all that I do with a much deeper sense of dependence. As one who is recovering from a strong bent toward self-reliance, being still doesn’t necessarily mean doing far less, but being far more attentive and responsive to the direction and pace of my guide, the Holy Spirit.
Rather than making my plans and asking for God to bless them, I ask him to show me his plans and then to give me whatever is needed to do what he has called me to do. The verse above reminds me that I can do so with huge confidence, because he is God … all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, infinitely good, wise and faithful.
As I sit at my desk, piled with challenges and opportunities of all kinds, I glance up and remember I can remain at rest, even while stewarding all that is entrusted to me, because I live and move and have my being in the fullness and faithfulness of Almighty God (Acts 17:28).