Can you stop?

“But I have stilled and quieted my soul..” (Psalm 131:2)

I’m in love. Infatuated, if you want to know the truth. It’s all new, exciting, and I just can’t seem to stop gazing into that face. Each day I discover something new and wonderful as we get to know each other… Don’t worry, I’m talking about my new ipod touch (but then maybe you should be worried). Hopefully, the infatuation will wear off, and it will just become a useful tool that I’ll be able to put down after I’ve checked mail, looked up a Bible passage, or enjoyed some good music.

Trouble is, opportunities to become addicted abound in our world. I haven’t checked out statistics, but I would hazard a guess that addictions of all kinds are at an all-time high. We’ve all heard of people addicted to video gaming, addicted to the internet, addicted to fast food, addicted to dieting & exercise, addicted to bad relationships, or even to just plain old busyness! You name it, we humans have an amazing ability to latch on to something that feeds a need, that makes us feel strong, or secure, or affirmed or comforted or in control or important or whatever, and before you know it – we just can’t stop.

God, on the other hand, wants us to be free – to be able to stop, to put it down, to be still – to be at peace in His presence, without being driven by feverish demands and desperate needs. For a child to mature, at some point he must be weaned from the breast or the bottle. He must learn to function without the thing that fed, comforted, filled his tummy and helped him fall asleep at night. He doesn’t like the process at all. He will probably fight it – scream, cry, plead or beg. But eventually he gives in, and he realizes that not only is everything OK and his needs are still met, but now he has a new level of freedom he didn’t have before. Hmmm…

In the spiritual growth process, God has an agenda – to wean us from all the ways we try to meet our needs without Him, all the substitutes for His presence and peace that leave us unfulfilled. So here are some questions to help you consider what I’m talking about and to translate it into real life:

• What do you really want, and how do you react when you don’t get it?
• What is it, or where is it in your life that you can’t stop and be still, be at peace?

Answer those questions, and you’re on the way to more freedom, peace and godly contentment. Now, how can we cooperate with God in the process? The answer is here in Psalm 131:2 – King David says, ‘I have stilled and quieted my soul.’ Do yourself a favor this week: turn off the TV, the radio, the computer, the music, find a quiet place, and sit still for 15 minutes. Read Psalm 131 (it’s only 3 verses). Ask God to make His presence real to you, to meet the deep needs of your heart. And wait. Do it the next day. And the next. Sound scary? See if you can stop, just for that long. As for me, someone might need to hide my ipod ;-)

Grace & Peace
Pastor Paul