When You Can’t Get Still
Have you found yourself wanting to be still with God… but your mind just won’t slow down?
Maybe your thoughts keep racing. Maybe your body feels restless. Maybe silence feels uncomfortable instead of peaceful.
Don’t give up. Learn to get still.
Most people struggle with stillness at times. Some struggle with it often. But stillness is not reserved for naturally calm people—it’s an important way we encounter the Lord.
In Psalm 46:10, God says:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
There is something about stillness that helps us receive the revelation of God more deeply—His presence, His power, His wisdom, His care. In stillness, our souls begin to settle. We stop striving so hard. We stop trying to control everything around us. We simply behold Him.
And over time, that changes us.
Here are a few simple practices that may help when it feels difficult to become still.These are not steps you must work through every time you seek stillness. They are simply practices you can choose...
Overcome – Don’t Come Under
Are You Facing More Than You Can Handle?
Are you dealing with something right now that feels overwhelming—like it’s more than a match for you?
Maybe it’s financial. Maybe it’s relational. Maybe it’s your health, or something you feel unequipped to handle.
If so, you’re not alone. That’s part of living in this world. Everyone walks through seasons like this.
And if you’re not in that place right now, be grateful for the season you’re in… unless the reason is that you’re avoiding a challenge you know you’re meant to step into.
Jesus was very honest about life. In Gospel of John 16:33, He said:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
That’s a strong statement—but consider when He said it.
This was right after Judas had chosen to betray Him. It was the day before the false accusations, the injustice, the beatings, and the cross. Jesus knew exactly what was coming—and yet He walked in deep, unshaken peace.
Even more striking: He declare...
Choosing Stillness in a Noisy World
We are so full of chatter.
Noise presses in from every side—opinions, opportunities, distractions, demands. Life can start to feel like a barrage, and before we know it, we’re reacting more than choosing. Pulled here and there, we may feel slightly out of control. God isn’t really guiding our lives—not because He’s absent, but because we’re not slowing down enough to notice or respond.
And the beat goes on.
So how do we step off this treadmill of shallowness?
One simple, difficult, and deeply transformative practice: intentional silence.
Silence creates space—for connection with your real self (which can feel unsettling at first), for encountering the real God, and for learning to speak and live with greater depth, clarity, and authority.
When we intentionally slow down, step away from the noise, and allow ourselves to be still, things begin to surface. What has been hidden or dormant in us often rises to the top. This isn’t always comfortable. In fact, much of our busyness may b...
Who Are You – Really?
At different points in our lives we are confronted with different forms of the same question –
“Who are you?”
Often the question comes as a challenge to our competence. We are tempted to define ourselves by what we are able to do and/or how well we can do it.
Sometimes we are enticed to delineate our lives in terms how well regarded, received or "important" we are. The eyes and approval of others become our measuring stick.
Alternatively, we may be incited to understand ourselves and portray ourselves in terms of power – how much (or who) we can gain and control for our own purposes.
These three false measurements of identity are common to all of us. Different ones will be weighted in different ways, nuanced with different language and tailored to fit/attack our specific personalities and susceptibilities. However, these kinds of temptations are bait for the traps of pride or self-condemnation for all of us.Â
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Which temptation bites more deeply into your soul, competence, appr...
Don't Be Fearful ... Be Free!
“It is for freedom that Christ has set you free!” (Galatians 5:1)
The apostle Paul was convinced that Jesus came to set people free from the bondage of religion. Religion – in this sense – refers to the constant concern about doing things rightly, and the guilt that accompanies falling short on a regular basis.
In Romans Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) “Falling short” is the human condition. And, the consequence/wages of that sinful condition is death – death of our souls, and eternal death.
Unaddressed sin dulls our souls and makes our spirits lifeless. However, we must be reminded again and again and again that “the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Religion tempts us to try to justify ourselves by our actions or intentions. Freedom in Christ releases us from self-justification, so we can be honest. We don’t need to dig ourselves out of our self-referenced lifestyles. We don’t have to pretend ...
