Stillness

My aunt was a great cook. In her kitchen, there was a sign on the wall, which read, “…the hurrier I go, the behinder I get…” Antoni Gaudi, the architect of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, was famous for saying, “…my client is not in a hurry…” 

Both understood that hurry was the enemy of creativity; but hurry is also the enemy of spirituality. To counter this disease of hurry, which is so rife in our world, we need to learn to be still.

Stillness is one of the forgotten disciplines of our modern world. The Bible says, “…be still, for this is a holy day"(Nehemiah 8:11); “…be still and know that I am God…”(Psalm 46:10); “…be still before the Lord…” (Zechariah 2:13).

Stillness was the discipline of priests, psalmists, and prophets. It was also the characteristic of the wilderness into which Moses was called to strengthen his worship, and Israel was called to restore her intimacy.

Our addiction to hurry and activity has drawn us away from God and prevented us from trusting Him.

I believe, God’s instruction to Moses is as relevant today as it was then: “…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still…” (Exodus 14:14).

Do you intentionally find time for stillness in your busy schedule?

Have you developed a personal discipline of stillness?

What are you doing each day to foster intimacy with God?

Robert