Cultivating Stillness
The world is busy. Life is fast. The art of stillness (and silence) is fleeting, but we need it more than ever.
Elijah was alone on the mountain when God spoke to him with a “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). If God whispered something to you today, would you hear it? Or would it get drowned out by a thousand other voices?
Our goal is not to become monks in the desert. It’s to make room for God to speak to us and for God to restore us.
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I really need a moment to rest,” only to realize that you just had a break, but instead of resting, you were busy consuming things on your phone? Even during our breaks, we struggle to truly rest. We struggle to embrace stillness.
The enemy of modernity is boredom. We avoid it at all costs. And as a result, we’ve eliminated stillness and silence from our lives. It’s no wonder we’re an anxious and weary people.
How to Cultivate Stillness in Your Life
Start your day with Jesus.
Commit at least the first thirty minutes of every day to be with Jesus (i.e., Bible and prayer).
When will you wake up to ensure you have enough time (which also determines when you need to go to sleep)? Where will you go to meet with Jesus? What will you read?
And when you’re finished reading, don’t be so quick to move on. Take a moment to sit in silence with the Lord. Take a deep breath. Enjoy a moment of stillness before moving on to your next task.
“There is no way around this. Being useless and silent in the presence of our God belongs to the core of all prayer…silence is the deepest response to the word” (Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen).
Take a weekly Sabbath.
Sabbath is a gift from God that is still relevant today. It keeps us from wandering too far off the path. It gives us an opportunity to reset our boundaries and priorities. It provides a moment to remember and reflect on the previous week and to dream about the future.
But don’t just fill your Sabbaths with mindless consumption or sleep. Be intentional to do things that honor God, build community, and bless you and those around you. God will not bless a lazy Sabbath. Be active in doing life-giving things, while avoiding things that drain you.
But remember, true rest comes from Jesus – not the absence of work. If you are seeking rest from anything other than Jesus, you will not find it.
Be intentional with screen time.
Before you get on your phone, ask yourself, “What is my objective here?” Oftentimes, we have none. It’s just a reaction. It’s not necessary, nor is it enjoyable. It’s just filler. Say no. Be intentional. Choose stillness. Embrace boredom. Learn to be alone with yourself again.
As you converse with yourself and explore your thoughts, invite God into the conversation. This is what it means to “pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Set guardrails or boundaries around when and how much you will use your phone. For example:
No phone for the first and last thirty minutes of the day.
No phone in the bedroom (or bathroom).
No screen-time during meals (even if you’re eating alone).
No screen-time while you’re waiting for people to arrive.
Set screen time limits on your phone. Download an app that makes it harder to get around your limits.
Embrace silence.
You don’t always need to be listening to something (i.e., music or a podcast). And when you do listen to something, listen to it. Don’t just use it as background noise.
Have intentional times of silence throughout the week. For example, drive to work once per week in silence. There is something refreshing about silence in a world that is full of noise. It may be unsettling or boring at first, but it’s necessary. It’s time to rescue silence from the brink of extinction.
