Standing in the place of stillness . . . no other place I’d rather be.
The place of stillness is like a treasure in the rough. Sometimes it’s hidden in plain sight among the common and ordinary. And even when we find it, it may not seem so extraordinary at first. But this can change . . . if we are willing.
That Jesus promised us “life to the full” (John 10:10) doesn’t mean we are freed from the need to train our hearts in desiring such a life. We have to, in a sense, learn to acquire a taste for the holy. Once we do, all else is put in perspective. This doesn’t mean we stop enjoying the blessings God has already given but we no longer confuse them as our ultimate aim.
We were made for God and only as we order our lives toward this end do we discover the life we’ve craved all along. How? We make room for regular conscious exposure to his presence. Though we may have tangibly encountered God in the past—and even been profoundly impacted—our hearts quickly return to what we’ve been accustomed to loving. The practice of sustained stillness trains us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Luke 10:27).
We have God’s promise that such efforts will not go unrewarded, for when we draw near to God he draws near to us (James 4:8). Why would God make such an extraordinary offer? Because he understands that human beings are motivated more by personal experience than legalistic expectation. This is why Scripture says to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). So it is through repeated exposure to the wonder of his presence that we teach our hearts to choose his love amidst the daily smorgasbord of lesser affections ever begging for our attention. Such inner reorientation of our hearts requires intentionality. This is why we must all have our own “place of stillness.”
Wherever it may be found we must claim that space, we must cherish and regularly frequent it. For here we discover the “pearl of great price” (Matthew 13:45-46) and the well of living water waiting to bubble up within our being (John 7:38). We all have a hidden life in God ever ready to be revealed. But it is hard to recognize when we have not learned we already have what we desire. We can finally stop looking. Yes, in this place of stillness we’ll soon find there’s no other place we’d rather be. Next week, we continue our theme of stillness as we show our seventh animated poem, A Ruinous Drawing.
What Do You Think?
Imagine how your life might be different if you could tangibly experience God on a regular basis? How could stillness practically help toward this end?
♦ To see the video and poem from which this post is based, click here.
