Stop Running. No, not in a literal sense but rather stop your mind from running; from moving a mile a minute across the vast territory of worry, what-ifs, regrets, and “what will be” in the future. This is not the territory that you are to cross or abide in. It is the territory of our minds, if let long enough neglected, will deplete and deteriorate and no longer hold our minds captive. This is territory that deceives us into thinking that we’re accomplishing something by worrying or wallowing in regret. It’s the territory that robs us of the things and places we should be doing and should be at. It’s only until we finally can tell our soul, be still my soul be still, and wait patiently upon the Lord, that we’re actually making progress. Oh the paradox that when we are finally still before the Lord He Himself is able to then pick us up and carry us onto the new heights.
Have you ever tried to hold a baby that keeps fidgeting and moving around restlessly? They’re tired and it is nap time but they want to get out of your arms and wander around not knowing that the rest they really need (and long for) is in your arms.
Many of us are still infants. Unable to eat solid food not because we’re not ready but we’re simply unwilling to stay still in the arms of our Savior and allow Him to work in our lives. It is an act of submission to Almighty God to say with our hearts and our actions,
“Your ways are higher, Your thoughts are deeper, I submit to You.”
Then we’re going somewhere. Finally we’ve put fuel in the engine that we’ve been trying to start all along.
What we often misunderstand or forget is:
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on the completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6
Meaning, yes God has called us to do many things but guess what, He’s also going to be the one doing the work through us. Ahhh, what a relief! When you really think about it, it’s funny, because all along, what we struggle and strive with is not our job to do so. Oh no, we simply need to submit to the hands of our Heavenly Father, obey Him and follow His leading in everything, trusting that He’s the one working through us all along.
Imagine you’ve been called to fix your car brake pads. You don’t know a thing about brake pads but God does. One way or another, He will get the work done either directly working through our hands or the hands of an experienced mechanic. But every minute you spend worrying adds up to nothing in accomplishing the work. It’s when we seek His face and follow His leading that then we’re finally able to make progress.
We ought not to worry about any single detail of our lives. God is not surprised by any of it. He is alive and omniscient and actively working on our behalf. When we worry, we’re saying,
“Yes Lord, you are the one who spoke all of creation into existence and hold it all together by your breath, but my problems are too much for you to handle. Do you even know or care about my problems?”
How we really still don’t understand the nature of God. We know our family and friends and willing we defend them because we know them and they would never do “such and such.” Yet when it comes to God, who’s shown Himself faithful in every way, we still walk around wondering. Get to know God. Spend time on your knees before Him. Read His word. Dwell in His presence. Finally, our souls get to taste true freedom and peace that only comes from Him. When was the last time you told yourself, Be still my soul, be still?