Be Still

Beyond following the current guidelines that have been issued regarding the Coronavirus to the best of my ability (and, believe me, there have been times when that has been confusing as to how to really apply them, and there have been times when they have been changed or clarified on a daily - if not hourly - basis), I have also been praying about what God wants me to do with all of the time I now have at home. I feel like the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to "Be Still". I have learned that the Holy Spirit is so personal; what He is speaking to me may not be what He is speaking to others. Many people, my college-aged students, for example, can't "Be Still" right now because the expectations have not only continued, but in many cases, have increased, now that they are trying to "work" or "study" from home. But I can't help feeling like the overwhelming message, generally speaking, is for us to "be still", and yet, we just can't seem to do it. Everyone seems to be trying to conduct "business as usual", even if they have to do it remotely or online.

I can only speak for myself, but I just don't think that's what we are supposed to be doing. I feel like God is asking us to put a "pause" on our normal routine, not just to do our best to switch our normal routine to Zoom or Google Chat.

I feel like, as an individual and as a collective group, He is asking us to change our priorities, at least temporarily. Maybe we are supposed to be spending more time quieting our hearts and minds and just sitting with Him. Maybe we are supposed to be spending more time taking it down a notch with our families; cooking, relaxing, watching Netflix, playing cards, building puzzles, or, here's a thought: talking. Or, better yet, listening. ... Perhaps even having those deeper conversations; you know, the ones we keep putting off until "a better time".

I think the Coronavirus and the restrictions surrounding it are causing our strongholds to become a bit more glaringly obvious, if we will stop engaging in them long enough to acknowledge it. Whatever routine you are struggling the most with changing, take some time away from it to ask God why it is so difficult for you to surrender that to Him and what He wants you to do about that. For some of us, that may be our work. God commanded us to rest; in fact, He, Himself, the Creator of the Universe, took time to rest. Jesus took time to rest. I think it is interesting that there are many times in the Bible when God had to tell people to stop working! Especially during times when they would normally be working very hard (in biblical times, that was the season of harvest). It requires faith and trust to refrain from working when everyone and everything within you and around you is telling you not only to work, but to work harder. My own personal experience has been that when God has challenged me to do that - to not work - and I have stepped out in faith and trust (or, let's be honest, fear and trepidation!) and obeyed Him, He has always blessed my obedience. Always.

But, I have to say, I think one of the most surprising things to me is to see how Christians and the Christian community are reacting to having their "Christian routine" disrupted. I hate to tell you this, Friends, but God is not your pastor, your church building, your church community, your worship team, or your bible study group! Perhaps He would like you to spend as much time with Him as you do with them! There. I said it. I think it is easy to point fingers at "Pharisees"; people who obviously make their faith about following rules and religion. ... But it is harder to point the finger at ourselves; people who have a genuine faith, but have come to rely on the people and places where we express it, instead of relying on the Author of it.

Whatever your strongholds are - work, school, grades, money, your bank account, 401(K), church, church family, friendships ... my guess is, they are being tested right now. Either you are getting more of them or less of them, or, at the very least, you are getting them served up in a different manner. Perhaps God wants us to pay attention to that ... and to spend some time with Him asking Him what He would like us to do about it.

© I Lift My Voice, 2020.