In our fast-paced world, the idea of stopping—of being still—is often seen as unproductive or even wasteful. We live in a culture that glorifies busyness, celebrates hustle, and measures worth by how much we accomplish. But God’s rhythm is different. In Psalm 46:10, we’re given a simple yet profound invitation: “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s not a suggestion to simply relax, but a call to enter into a deeper awareness of His presence.
In a discipleship class I’ve been leading titled: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, we’ve been learning the value of this very thing—just being with God. Not bringing Him our long to-do lists of prayers or reading Scripture only to extract something useful, but simply sitting in silence before Him. It’s surprisingly hard. Our minds wander. We feel the pressure to move on to the next thing. But when we choose to pause, something sacred begins to happen.
Our tendency is to approach God for what we can get: answers; peace; guidance; provision. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Jesus Himself tells us to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). But what if part of our spiritual maturity is learning to come to God not just for what He gives, but simply for who He is?
Think of it like a healthy relationship. The deepest friendships and most intimate marriages aren’t built solely on constant activity or exchanged favors—they thrive in presence. In the quiet moments. In shared stillness. Our relationship with God is no different. In fact, Jesus modeled this when He often withdrew to lonely places to pray and be with the Father (Luke 5:16). If the Son of God needed stillness, how much more do we?
Even God rested on the seventh day—not because He was tired, but because He was setting a pattern for us (Genesis 2:2-3). He knew we’d need regular pauses to recalibrate our souls and re-center our hearts on Him. In my own practice, I’ve started taking just 3 to 5 minutes, a few times a day, to sit in silence and stillness before God. No words. No agenda. Just being with Him. And what I’ve discovered is that those moments act like a spiritual reset—bringing unexpected peace, clarity, and rest to my heart.
If this isn’t something you’ve tried, I encourage you to start small: one or two minutes. Let it feel awkward. Let your mind wander and gently bring it back. But keep showing up. There’s something beautiful that happens when we learn to just be with God—not for what we can get, but simply because He is worthy of our time and attention. Take time today to stop. To breathe. To be still. And to know—deeply know—that He is God!
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