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Sticking Points

            He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

There are times when I am still, and as soon as I hear the silence echo, I look for something to fill it. Like peace, which tends to mean “flatline” in my mind, it’s a condition to be feared and avoided. Most of the time, though, being still seems less possible than holding my breath. Without something occupying my mind, it goes on its own rabbit trails. It just doesn’t work well to tell myself repeatedly to stop thinking. I get stuck on the first phrase.

Some people get stuck on the second phrase: and know that I am God. They either can’t tolerate the idea of any god, or they can’t stomach the idea of this particular God being the true God to the exclusion of any other. Still others get stuck on God’s “arrogant” claim to exaltation from others. The result of both those sticking points returns to mine. The person can’t or won’t be still.

Teachers on the subject of stillness and silence often suggest that instead of beating ourselves up when we find we’re not being still, we should  gently take note of the issue and bring ourselves back to being still. That isn’t bad advice, but today, a different idea comes to mind that may be the answer to all three sticking points. Instead of shushing ourselves, we need to get to know God better. Instead of focusing on how noisy we’re being, or how much we resent anyone or anything claiming to be God, we should seek Him, read about Him, consider Him, and generally turn our focus on Him.

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