Be Still: 30 Devotions for the Hopeful HeartSample

He Knows Life is a Lot

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. PSALM 62:1 NIV

“Unclench your teeth. Take your tongue off the top of your mouth. Release the tension in your hands.” As the yoga instructor mentioned each thing, I thought to myself. “What? I didn’t realize I was doing these to begin with!”

Isn’t that so often how we approach so much of life, though? We do what we have always done simply because we have always done it. We go at breakneck speed because we are told we will get behind or be subpar if we choose our own pace. This accelerated rhythm not only affects our mental capacity, spiritual awareness, and emotional well-being, but it also physically causes our body to be in defense mode. It often takes us being still to realize how frantic we have become.

The reality is, we all have a lot going on. We have a lot to manage, a lot to balance, a lot to understand, and even a lot to surrender. But it also probably feels like a lot because we never slow down long enough to set it down and rest our shoulders. We assume that whatever we want to remain in our lives, we must deal with it all at once. We cannot miss out, mess up, or miss it. We feel the need to be the perfect friend, husband/wife, family member, or leader all while painting the picture that we understand vulnerability. What we share with others still remains the socially acceptable answer because if they really—like, really—knew our level of crazy? Well, it is just too much. So we juggle.

We forget to breathe and remind ourselves of the bigger picture. His Word has informed us that we have been placed exactly where we are, with what we have, “for such a time as this.” All the balls in the air can wait for a moment. Because if the juggler forgets that underneath them is a net to catch them, they will live in constant fear of falling.

He knows we have a lot. But nothing in our hands is worth compromising the hope in our hearts.

Let’s unclench our teeth, remove our tongue from the top of our mouths, release the tension in our hands, and be okay with just being.

Dear Jesus, thank You for being a God of peace. Help us to be thankful for the blessings and the burdens we have, trusting that You are our Help and Provider. We are not crazy; we are human, and You love us more than anything. Remind our souls of that. In Jesus’s name, amen.