It is interesting that in the midst of a pandemic, a crisis that is filled with chaos and confusion that we are require to act against our own human nature and desires. We have been forced to bear a wealth of crosses to, face the reality, and be still in the presence of danger. We are stationed in solitude, silent in our sadness, and surrounded with the atmosphere of trouble, trial, and triumph at the same time. What do you say to a song that records with the same beat day after day, moment after moment, and thought after thought? One might wonder, what is the purpose is remaining still when movement is the one thing that keeps us going. I do agree that movement is a great benefit to manage mental health and to maneuver through the madness and noise inside our heads. However, in the midst of so much noise, the Kingdom is reclaiming the proper sound and frequency of your life by demanding seconds, minutes and even days of silence.
Stillness is often thought of as a stiff action or lack of movement, but I reckon you to rattle your senses and to stimulate your thoughts, words, and deeds with a reimagining of remaining stationary. The word stationed is defined as a regular stopping place on a public transportation route or a place or building where a specified activity or service is based. With this definition in mind, if buildings and public transportation stations require pit stops, why not the human body? The pit stop is not a derailment, but serves as a development, and a conditional entity required maintaining healthy movement and rhythms. Without providing yourself the discipline and time to be stationed, your machinery will eventually burn out and be run down by the shifting tides of life.
The trouble is that people are rarely still unless we as a society are faced with tragedy that forces us to surrender. This past year has surely shown us a sense of tragedy. Having to yield to phone calls each day that are full of bad news, in addition to the TV news that floods the airways and atmosphere with horrific images that shape the Soul; it’s no wonder people are ready to run away, fly abroad or crawl in a cave. In these chaotic times, burnout seems inevitable. What we must remember that while tragic, these unique times gives us THE time to make a pit stop, even if that time is forced upon us. The demand in this unique hour is to be still, stay put, decrease travel or commune alone, is also a blessing, and an opportunity for self-preservation, in mind, body, and spirit.
I personally believe that Covid19 is a strategic design of Psalm 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God.” This text provides us with the precise instructions to REST in God. In order to further discover who God is to YOU, one must learn how God works IN you; only then can you develop a personal understanding, separate from the experiences and perspectives of others, of who YOU are and who GOD is. What happens when rest is not in your plans? You forfeit this opportunity: to restore, to relax, and to reason with the reality that God is in control and is in charge of EVERYTHING. Stillness provokes a challenge to develop a deeper way of peace within. The reward becomes bountiful, knowing that even in the storm, the wound, the diagnosis, the divorce, the death, or even through crisis; lasting peace abides. To experience stillness, silence, and solitude is a major breakthrough that affords your soul the gifts of inner peace and grace. Therefore, give yourself the permission to Rest, Receive, Recover, and Recoup.
God’s sovereignty is a preserver of strength, sanity, and sanctity. As I encourage hearts to pay attention to their mental health, and begin to offer Mental Health Strategies, Solutions & Awareness, I want to encourage each of you to be honest, consistent, and congruent with your needs. At the end of the day all you have is you. You have one body, one mind, and one spirit, and must do all that you can to preserve them, so that you can have a happy and full life. Use the gift of stillness as a form of preservation, not a demand taxing your system.
I leave with you these questions:
What area do you need God’s peace?
What needs divine deliverance?
How can I incorporate more stillness into my daily routine?
Father, may you provide peace that surpasses all understanding and cuts through the distractions of noise. Provoke your children and servants to grant themselves permission to take the “S” off their chest. This is not the time to exert oneself as a hero, but a divine occasion to cultivate a stationary submission to recover and revive. Thank you in advance for refining our souls; in Jesus’ name, Amen.