SIT THERE & BE STILL

THINK BACK A LITTLE BIT? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD TO TELL A CHILD, "NOW YOU SIT THERE & DON'T MOVE. " PERHAPS YOU SAID IT IN AN EFFORT TO CORRECT THERE WRONG BEHAVIOR. MAYBE IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THEM FROM VENTURING INTO AREAS THAT WOULD BE HARMFUL TO THEM. PERHAPS IT WAS JUST SIMPLY THE SETTING THAT YOU WERE IN REQUIRED SILENCE. WHATEVER THE REASONING I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE THAT FOR THE CHILD OBEYING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WAS EASIER SAID THEN DONE.

NOW GO BACK JUST A LITTLE FURTHER AND REMEMBER WHEN YOU AS A CHILD WERE TOLD, "SIT HERE & DON'T MOVE. CAN YOU RECALL HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. I KNOW FOR MYSELF IT SEEMED NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. IT SEEMED AS IF THE MERE FACT THAT I WAS TOLD TO BE STILL CAUSED EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING TO HAVE AN URGENCY TO MOVE. AND BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF BEING STILL IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.

AS I PONDERED THESE THINGS I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHILD WHO CANT SIT STILL & GODS CHILDREN. I REALIZED THAT IN MANY WAYS BEING STILL HAS BECOME LIKE A PUNISHMENT TO US. THE EVERYDAY FAST PACED LIFE THAT WE'VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO, BOLDLY PROCLAIMS TO US THAT IF WE SIT STILL FOR JUST ONE MOMENT WE WILL MISS OUT ON SOMETHING, WE WILL FALL BEHIND, OR WE WILL BE DISADVANTAGED SOMEHOW. IN OUR VIEW BEING STILL HAS NO VALUE. IT DOES NOT BRING US WEALTH, OR SUCCESS, OR FAME, OR PROSPERITY.

IT IS NOT UNTIL WE SEE OURSELVES AS A CHILD THROUGH THE EYES OF AN ADULT THAT WE WILL SEE THE VALUE OF BEING STILL BEFORE GOD. HE IS OUR SPIRITUAL FATHER. SOMETIMES HE HAS US SIT STILL TO CORRECT OUR BAD BEHAVIOR. OTHER TIMES HE HAS US SIT STILL BECAUSE HE SEES US VENTURING INTO PLACES THAT WILL BE HARMFUL TO US. AND MANY TIMES HE KNOWS THAT WE ARE IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT REQUIRE TOTAL SILENCE.

WHATEVER THE CASE I PRAY THAT WE WOULD GROW TO UNDERSTAND THE IMMEASURABLE RICHES OF BEING STILL BEFORE GOD. I PRAY THAT WE WOULD NOT CONSIDER SILENCE, AND SOLITUDE PUNISHMENT BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND CLARITY IN OUR LIVES. I PRAY THAT WE WOULD NOT BE SO ANXIOUS TO MOVE SO QUICKLY AND RATHER BE SPIRITUALLY DISCIPLINED ENOUGH TO SIT THERE AND BE STILL.