Soul Rest: 7 Days To RenewalSample

KEEP STILL

In our fast-paced culture, we are constantly in motion. Whether it’s our always-packed calendar, always-racing mind, or always-connected technology, we aren’t very good at resting. At the root, many of us are consumed with working, performing, and longing to earn respect, position, authority, value, and love. Whether we attempt to receive these things from people or God, this striving causes us to become tired. Soul tired. The only way that we can begin a journey toward rest is to give ourselves permission to stop. 

Today, take some time to find a quiet few moments of solitude. Preferably, it will be a time that you intentionally set aside for the purpose of being still. It would be optimal if you could go to a location that you consider restful, by default, and spend about 10 minutes alone. I think 10 minutes is a reasonable amount of time to hope for. Do this without the aid of technology or means that have the potential to interrupt you. 

If stepping away isn’t possible in your day, find a way to create stillness in the midst of your regular flow. Drive in silence to or from work. Sit alone with no phone interaction during lunch. The key in all of this is to not allow anything to populate the time that you have set aside to be quiet and still. 

Caution: There will be a temptation to minimize the importance of being still, but I want to encourage you to be vigilant. Note what is happening in your mind and heart as you engage this time of quiet stillness. 

Keep still and let Him do some work. 

THOMAS MERTON 

Busyness is an illness of spirit. 

EUGENE PETERSON 

You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. 

DALLAS WILLARD 

...all men need enough silence and solitude in their lives to enable the deep inner voice of their own true self to be heard at least occasionally. 

THOMAS MERTON