Be Still

For many people, God and football go in the Sunday box, chores go into the Saturday box, and work, stress, and more stress go into the Monday through Friday box. Sometimes, we will take a vacation day to get some chores done, or we might take a full week off for a stressful road-trip somewhere. Of course, before we go on this stressful trip, we need to worry about:

Accommodations
Bathroom stops
Food
Which highways we hate because we got stuck last year
Which busy cities to avoid

Should we buy a GPS? Which website should we book our hotel through? What entertainment will we enjoy once we get there? Will the parking be free? What other pressures can I put onto myself?

Stop Worrying

All too often, we take the simplest things, like how to relax, and turn it into a monstrous, stressful endeavor. When people get back from vacations, they often don’t seem relaxed at all. Maybe it is because we are so used to being in a complicated world. Phones are no longer just phones, music is now an intangible computer file, even books are moving into a primarily digital form, and most video content is no longer served by televisions.

Maybe it is because complication is the new norm. We can’t conceive that relaxing can really be as easy as doing nothing. Vacations should feel like work, or else we aren’t earning it. We can’t sit still, we must act now, and we must do whatever it takes.

We Are Commanded To Be Still

In Psalm 46:10 we find this: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'”Be still, and know He is God. This isn’t a request, this isn’t a suggestion, this isn’t even a firm insinuation, this is a command. Be still, do nothing, stop doing stuff, and stop thinking about everything all the time.

Many would respond “but I can’t just ‘do nothing’!” But you can, and you must. We’ve never been more stressed than we are today. We take more medication, we sedate ourselves with TV and food, and we take more medication because we can’t sleep. Once we wake up from sleeping for a couple of hours, we grab a few Red Bulls and start the day.

We weren’t designed to live like this, and we especially weren’t designed to live like this for long periods of time. We need rest, we need Shabbat, or as more might recognize: Sabbath. Sabbath, when translated, literally means “rest.” We are commanded to Honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy (Deuteronomy 5:12). We are commanded to rest. Maybe it is because God knew we would be like this.

What If We Honored The Word?

What if you decided to honor the Word, and be still? What bad could come of honoring this command? Would everything fall apart if you took just one day off? If so, your system is too fragile. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-Fil-A, is quoted as saying:

“I determined that if it took seven days a week to make a living, I should be in some other business.”

What if you made a conscious decision to stop worrying unnecessarily?

Here are some things that I know would come of it: You would feel more relaxed. You wouldn’t feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. You would enjoy time with the people you love. You would be more effective the other 6 days, because you’ll be well rested, and more relaxed.

A clear mind will think and make better decisions, than a tired, worried, stressed out mind. Quit planning everything, and quit wondering about what to do. I know the social norm is that if you are not working, then you’re being lazy, but this is a huge flaw, and has resulted in today’s deteriorated mental state. Take the bull by the horns, and do absolutely nothing.

What about you? Has truly resting helped you be more effective in your business, money management, job, or professional career? How has stress impacted the quality of your work or decision making?

Let us know in the comments!