On being still when everything cries, “Move on!”

We didn’t go to the barber when we were growing up; my father cut our hair and taught us two important words: “Be still!” I didn’t like sitting still—it stifled my energy—but I discovered the consequences if I didn’t.

A gouged hairline shows you weren’t still in the barber’s chair. A sore mouth bears witness you broke the rule of stillness in the dentist’s chair. A bluebird’s sudden flight when you were not still enough steals wonderful moments from watching nature.

Not being still has consequences in life, too. How often must we remember the Psalm, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)?

Stillness is not God stifling us

Until now, I hadn’t thought how I can be like that child squirming in my father’s chair and God must say, “Stop fidgeting! Be still!”

I want to get moving. He wants to avoid nicking me and drawing blood, to spare me having bald patches because I bobbed at the wrong time.

“Be still,” He says. “I am sparing you, not stifling you. I don’t want you to hurt or look bad.”

The psalmist says that when I heed, I will not only fare better, but I will also come to know God. The Hebrew words explain.

There are many ways to know something; the Hebrew in this case means “to ascertain by seeing” (Strong’s Concordance). On one hand, our creeds teach that God is invisible, and the Bible declares no one has seen Him. Yet, the psalmist proclaimed it is possible to perceive the Almighty, to recognize Him.

The Apostle Paul agrees. “What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:19-20).

We fidget too much to know God

These servants of God, the psalmist and apostle, insist we can know God. If we don’t, why? Paul says the ignorant suppress this truth (Romans 1:18).  The psalmist says we fidget too much and need to be still.

The Hebrew for still means to slacken, according to Strong’s. Our English word to slacken suggests three ways we can be still:

• Slow down. Through the psalmist, God speaks to the one who is rushing around, agitated. Slow down says to reduce the pace, which may be appropriate, but there is an even stronger imperative, “Stop!” because there are times, like the barber’s chair, when slowing isn’t enough.
  
  To stop—to restrain yourself—may actually take more effort than rushing to and fro but, when we do, God promises we can discern Him in the calm. Remember the disciples who were rocked by the storm, rowing for their lives, and saw something new in Jesus when He stilled the sea.

• Reduce activity. I have worked in data processing for nearly 40 years and have observed an attitude toward work evolve that has many striving for work-life balance. We now have tablets and laptops and smartphones that tether us around the clock to technology. Our devices are always on and the mindset has developed that we are 24×7 creatures.
  
  Have you considered the Lord’s Day a day of rest—an opportunity to fast from non-essential activities? God calls us to rest both in time, such as Sabbath, and in Christ. When we neglect these, our devotion to busyness contributes to stress.

• Loosen up. The Depression apparently gave rise to the slang uptight, but the tenseness of our own generation is no less than the tension of the 1930s. We are in tight spots politically, economically and socially, and anger and indignation boil on our streets and in the news. God’s appeal to be still asks: What fear of the future and of each other are you holding on to so tightly that you forget about God? Why are you so uptight?
  
  Musicians know their stringed instruments cannot be wound tight constantly; they have to slacken the strings if they’re not going to play for a while. So is it with us. “Be still,” God calls, “Loosen up. Your heavenly Father knows what you need; now, know that I am God.”

Be still: The way to let God do His work

The words my father taught us when cutting hair have served me well through the years. They remind me to settle down so the one who’s working can do their work.

My heavenly Father also tells me, “Be still”, words I need to remember often—and obey—so that He can do His work.