Sitting Still

"Be still, and know that I am God:"

Psalm 46:10

Have you ever heard anyone say "How do I know I am doing the right thing?" or "How do I know this is what God wants me to do?". Most of us at one point or another have heard someone say this or you've said it yourself.


So, how do I know if I am doing the right thing? Unless I have spent time praying about it and
accompanying my prayer time with His Word, I won't knowHis answer for my life. If I haven't done those two things, I shouldn't waste time asking myself if what I am doing is right. If I have spent time praying and reading His Word and consistently seeking Him in my life, then I think there are definite ways I can know if what I'm doing is the "right" thing.


When Josiah was about three years old I began thinking about Homeschool. Soon I began praying about it and then by the time he was five, I was on my knees, up in the middle of the night, seeking counsel, reading God's Word and asking God diligently to give me an answer in regards to Homeschool. It was not a decision based on what everyone else was doing or decision based out of fear. Instead it was a clean cut, easy to figure out "YES". If you are anything like me, a clean cut YES is so much fun to get. Then there have been those times when God's answer isn't quite clear but He urges me to sit still and do NOTHING.


Over the last few weeks during Supper time with the family, I have been trying to work on the boys and how they behave. I can't even begin to count how many times I have said "Josiah and Ezekiel, SIT STILL." It does not come natural for little boys to sit still or quietly for that matter. But sitting still is quite an extraordinary thing to ask a little boy to do. The Holy Spirit has been using my words "SIT STILL" in my own life. And can I just say that sitting still is not easy for me either? The thing about me is I like to take action! A personality test I took a few years ago for leadership within a church said that I was an "Activator". My neighbor recently took the same test and laughed at how accurate that word was for me. I don't ever sit still and when I do, I feel guilty. I think this is why I continue to fail at knitting and crocheting and my pregnant feet continue to swell because I don't like to sit. Give me a plan, a list, instructions or an idea and I will make it happen. This trait of mine does not always come in handy while waiting on the Lord.


When the answer isn't clear, sometimes that is THE answer. The band Rush has a song with lyrics that say it best. "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." Sometimes sitting still is the answer. For people like me who need action, this is hard. But the more I spend time with the Father and the more I read His Word, the more He gives confirms that sitting still is the "right" thing to do. Do you follow me? Confused? Let me explain further.


I know that my husband loves me. I also know that He knows me and knows what I like and dislike. We are in constant communion with each other. He spends every single night at home, eats supper with his family, tucks his kids in at night, talks with me, sleeps in the same bed as me and we talk all through out the day. I don't ever sit around wondering if he loves me or if he is for me. I spend time with him, he spends time with me so I KNOW where he stands. It is the same exact thing with our Father in Heaven. When and if we spend time with Him, we are getting to know Him. When we know our Father and His love for us, we can rest. He isn't hiding anything from us or trying to make His will difficult to figure out. We know Him. We know His nature and we know He LONGS to bless us and lead us in HIS path. The 23rd Psalm is a reminder that He guides us in the path of righteousness for His name's sake. Just like I trust Jeremy, I trust God even more.


It's easier for our fast paced human nature to get the "YES" from God but what about those seasons when we have to trust Him? What about the moments He asks us to "SIT STILL"? Do you trust Him? This is when a mature relationship with Christ is built. When we don't have to "feel" him all the time or seek a "move" from Him, our faith becomes a beautiful fragrance He loves to smell. This will always require us to actively sit still. Did you get that? ACTIVELY! If you are a woman of action like me, this will help you learn how to sit still before the Lord and wait.


John 15:4
4Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.


Right now I have a answer from my Lord. "SIT STILL." As I sit still, I am actively pursing Him. If this means I gotta get up at 6am and spend time praying and reading His Word, that's what I'm gonna do! If this means I need to turn off the tv before bed and read His Word, that's what I'm gonna do! I will be relentless as I actively pursue Him. This keeps the doubts, the worry, the fear and the enemy far at bay. A "YES" would be great but a "YES" doesn't build faith. I may not understand, I may feel restless, but I have no other choice but to be still and know that He is GOD.  I will be speechless. I will be still.


John 15:9
9I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me].




Sitting still,
Amanda