“Be still, and know that I am God….” (Psalms 46:10 NIV)

Be still?  You’ve got to be kidding!  Do you have any idea how much I have to do?  I’d love nothing better than the chance to be still—but I can’t schedule anything like that for the next 2 months.  Does that sound familiar?  We have to juggle our career, family, and activities, and often we find that there isn’t room to squeeze God into our lives.

Several years ago, a friend and fellow church member was installing an air conditioning unit for my home.  However, when he was finished, the unit didn’t work.  I stood by nervously as he looked it over.  After several minutes, he looked at me sheepishly and said, “I realize now what I didn’t do.”  I expected some technical explanation that I wouldn’t understand, but instead he confessed that he hadn’t prayed before he installed it.  He bowed his head silently for a few moments and then set to work.  He found the problem in no time, and the unit worked fine afterwards.

Does that seem simplistic to you?  It has been my experience that I have more time to include God in my daily tasks than I have time to redo tasks that I tried to do alone.  On top of that, I am at peace rather than stressed.  As John Bunyan said, “You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

Jesus took time to get away alone.  He was God in the flesh—Emmanuel—yet it was still important for Him to spend private time with His Heavenly Father.  He had constant demands upon His time, and every minute of His life was precisely scheduled and ordained.  He told the disciples in John 4:34 (TLB), “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God who sent Me, and from finishing His work.”

It was difficult at times for Jesus to get alone with the Father.  People sought Him out and hounded Him constantly.  There was so much excitement that it was difficult for Him at times to minister within a city.  In Mark 1, He sets up in a wilderness area, and people come to Him from all over.  Mark 6:31 reveals that there were so many people coming to Him that He and His disciples didn’t even have time to eat.

Jesus and His disciples at times retreated beyond the boundaries of Israel for a respite, but in every place there were people who needed His ministry.  When Jesus received the news that John the Baptist had been murdered by Herod, He sought refuge across the Sea of Galilee, but the multitudes followed Him.  In fact, it was this occasion in which Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and multiplied them to feed five thousand men plus women and children.

What is clear by a careful study of our Savior’s life is that He prioritized time alone with God.  That being His priority underscores the importance of it in our lives.

One of my favorite things about the New Year is the new calendar.  Actually, I should say calendars.  Why is it that we need to have so many these days?  Now I have to schedule time to coordinate my various calendars, but I digress.  Without a calendar, one year would run right into the next without much notice.  Days are much different because of the whole day and night thing, but a calendar brings an end for us to the previous year and offers up a whole new year.

The new calendar is a chance for us to simplify some things.  Every block represents a day in which we need to be still and know God more fully.  Each square is an opportunity, a chance for us to let God reveal Himself to us and through us.  Before we fill those blocks, now would be a really good time for one of those “Be still” moments.

Before we crowd our new calendars with all the appointments and commitments, let’s remember that our lives, like our Savior’s life, have a divine purpose.  We have a mission on this planet.  Paul made reference to that fact in 2 Timothy 4:7.  Hebrews 12:1 personalizes it for each of us as a “particular race that God has set before us.”  In order to achieve the fulfillment and peace that comes from doing God’s will, we need His help.

Before we can get busy doing His will, we begin by being still.  We need to harmonize ourselves to His purposes.  We need to receive the guidance and wisdom that only He can offer.  Most of all, we depend upon His power and blessings to accomplish the work.  These are part of the benefits we receive when we take the time to be still and reflect upon Him.

We can take control of our schedules and our own lives.  We really can.  We don’t have to be under the dominion of our “To Do List,” but in order to gain control we must first yield control to God.  As Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, we must put God and His kingdom first in our lives, and then He will order the other activities.

One word of caution: when God is in charge, some of our activities may end up on the chopping block (Deep breath!), and there’s nothing wrong with that.  He is God.  Know that and revel in that.  When He alters our activities, He has a better plan. GLORY!

If you have an original work (poem, article, graphic art, ...) you would like the chance to share with Tampa Bay, send it to us at:

Contact@OverflowMag.com