Have You Ever Wondered How to Be Still?Намуна

‘The Last Dance’ has been one of the big crazes on Netflix at this time. The story of Michael Jordan’s career—going for his sixth NBA title and his attempt at going for an almost unearthly second three-peat in the NBA. People around the world, including myself, have been captivated by the way he pushed himself and his teammates, his attitude to win at all costs, and his bravado as he did it. 

But something in the nineth episode caught my attention the most. When one of the people being interviewed was asked what makes Michael Jordan so different, he said that it was his ability to be 100 percent present in all moments, at all times, that separated him from the rest of the crowd. I believe this isn’t just relevant in the sporting sphere, but also in the Christian walk. 

The ability to be present requires moments for us to be still and reset; to focus on what really matters. We can be so caught up thinking and dreaming in the future and the ‘one day when’s’, that we get sidetracked from the importance of today and forget that what we do today will often determine what our tomorrow looks like. But first, we need to be still. We need to slow ourselves down—physically and mentally—and fix our eyes on Jesus in the present, as Isaiah 26:3 says. Otherwise we can get so caught up worrying about the things of tomorrow that we forget what Jesus says in Matthew 6:34. 

But how do we do this? How do we become present and still? We need to do what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says. We need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Your thoughts don’t have to control you, and your mind doesn’t have to be racing about all the things to do in life. But through Jesus, you can take your thoughts captive and be still. You can re-center your eyes on Jesus and know that he is in control. 

I’ve found that taking five minutes a day to just stop and take captive the thoughts that might be worrying me, filling my mind with the Word of God, can help me be still. In this, we are replacing our thoughts with words of life, and as we refocus our eyes on Jesus, the things of this world that hold us down grow dim—and his light grows ever brighter.

 

Written by Lachlan Kerr