Have You Ever Wondered How to Be Still?Намуна

To Be a Child Again

In Psalm 131, King David speaks of himself as a child who has learned to be still. Not necessarily stillness in the sense of being still physically (that would be quite amazing considering how difficult it can be for children to stay still for any period of time!), but in the sense of finding an inner stillness and contentment. 

Consider this: As an infant, your contentment was found in the immediate gratification of your needs and wants. At times, you might have cried out against your parents’ attempts to figure out what you longed for, and cried all the more loudly when your desire wasn’t met immediately. It wasn’t until you grew a little older that you had to learn how to settle or entertain yourself; to be content when there was delay in the fulfillment of what you desired. You knew that although you might feel the pain of hunger as it drew time for your next meal, there was no need to become distressed. Your hunger would soon be satisfied when it was next time to eat. Although you may have had to stop playing at times in order to rest, you weren’t being made to miss out. There would still be time to enjoy the day once you had woken up. 

While our desires tell us that we will never find stillness until we experience fulfillment and calm in our external world, the Psalmist suggests that stillness is not something we must wait for. Stillness is a choice. Like a child who has learned to settle themselves, we can make the decision to quiet our soul, even in the midst of doubts, unanswered questions, and unresolved situations. It does not mean that we are living in denial, or becoming wishful thinkers. Rather, by putting our hope in God, we learn that we can count on his faithfulness every time.

Written by Tahlia McLeod