Rest + Stillness
As a whole, society has a heavy reliance on stimulation. We spend hours thoughtlessly scrolling and indulge in entertainment that is, quite often, fruitless.
How often do we wholly rest?
We preoccupy ourselves with videos and pictures and other forms of media when we’re bored. Sometimes we overextend ourselves in the lives of others, investing interest in strangers. We are often consumed by anger and negativity when we cling to the things that are going wrong in our world.
We fill our time with noise, leaving very little time for genuine rest. It can be difficult to cultivate joy and peace and rest when we have the constant urge to be entertained.
Over this past week, I took a break from social media. There was no incessant scrolling, no dwelling in frustration over something someone posted, and no seeking to fulfill my instant gratification with vain content. And it was so nice.
I actually had time to pray and reflect and breathe. I rested in stillness and quiet. Unsurprisingly, I encountered peace and experienced fruit in the midst of this quietness.
Maybe you’re like me, having issues with constant tapping, distraction, and commotion. Or maybe you don’t struggle to find time to disconnect. Regardless, we all need time to rest and rejuvenate. And we cannot produce fruit and successfully strive for growth if we are uncomfortable with mere silence. We cannot develop firm relationships—especially not with God—if we have a constant need to be entertained.
So, friend, I invite you to reflect with me.
How do we enable distractions to prevent us from growing? Does the noise in our life burden our souls? What can we do to better enable prayerful rest in our lives?
We need stillness to know God and to reflect on our intentionality. We need silence to concentrate on our spiritual journey to heaven. And we need it to restore our peace, patience, and awareness.