Many of us live more restlessly than restfully. Although watching a sunset while lying in the grass or dangling our feet off a dock sounds romantic, most of us seldom take ourselves to those places. In real life, we tend to equate rest with surfing the internet after putting the kids to bed. After trial, error and denial, I can now say that no matter how quietly I web-surf, it is not a quieting activity for my spirit.
I wrote a reminder to myself in my journal, “Rest your overactive brain, and wake up your heart.” When I spend too many days without quiet, I feel out of sync and need to be reset like an online video after a glitch. I need to recharge my spirit then refocus my mind so that I can be restored, rejuvenated and ready to start anew rightly connected. Taking time to be still is as important as a doctor’s appointment and deserves to be scheduled on our calendars.
When I skimp on solitude, I feel the effects all day in my agitation and lower energy level. Taking even twenty minutes to myself jumpstarts my day, helping me feel prepared, peaceful, eager. I can greet my children with joy when they wake up instead of grogginess. I feel intentional and alive rather than just reactive.
I like to spend a daily hour alone at my morning-lit table with my journal and Bible.
Once you track down time for solitude, it might be wise to hide your phone from yourself. On vibrate. Ten feet away. In a generation bombarded by constant entertainment and distraction, it is difficult to protect any time from those beckoning rings and buzzes.
This is the age of instant gratification. We can find almost anything we need in less than twenty minutes for less than twenty dollars (Joshua Becker). And we can find almost any knowledge we seek in a few swipes of our thumbs. We can interrupt our own solitude in a hundred different ways at nearly any moment.
Really, it is really hard to sit still in 2014 America. Many of us find it easier to trek through our endless lineup of activities, intentionally filling up our schedules and seldom taking time to bask in the Lord’s goodness, to admire His creation, to pray a complete prayer, or to create something beautiful. From pillow and back again, our time is crunched.
Breathing Room, a sermon series by Pastor Andy Stanley.
Some of us even feel uncomfortable when a quiet moment does come our way. If you cannot build quiet time into your schedule, make a habit of seizing it when it comes to you. Initially, the stillness may feel uncomfortable, but with each time you brave through the awkwardness, you’ll love the quiet rest more and more.
Our children are watching us. I set rules for myself too: no email before breakfast and all screens off thirty minutes before bedtime. Sometimes I fail, but I try. Let’s model solitude for them to see and build it into their days as well. We can equip them to flourish in stillness if we ensure that most of their time is spent away from gadgets and that they get quiet time alone each day. Cultivate the habit of rest.
