This life offers many distractions. A world comes through a cell phone; everyone holds endless escape at their fingertips. Creature comforts of Netflix and social media and the internet must do Something for us, as evidenced by the whole culture with their heads down. Diversion consumes us. Maybe the constant checking in and refreshing and searching quells the noisiness of the mind. It gives us some type of stimulus that we feel is worthwhile, if only for a fleeting moment. Fleeting moments turn into hours.
This life is hard on the soul. We want escape from all the awfulness--loneliness, Death, sorrow, sickness, suffering. The dagger wound from a friend. The people we love making awful choices. Hurting comes in droves, and temporary escape comes much easier than facing thoughts and feelings. When we do stop the outside noise, we grow tired, bored, uncomfortable, maybe hopeless. Maybe helpless. The storms of life rage beyond anything we can control or calm. We avoid stillness, lest we think about the storm.
This life is also listless and boring. The monotony of the day to day drags by, day to day. After all, there is nothing new under the sun. We do all the things and chase all the things, and tomorrow, they must be done and chased again. Houses need cleaning, food needs cooking, things need arranging and organizing, kids need parenting. Work always needs working, and Doing can Do all the day long. There are few reasons to sit and stay still, and so many reasons to run around. We can't be still, because we feel guilty....we really shouldn't.
During his ministry time, one night, Jesus went to the home of Martha and Mary for dinner. Scripture says that Martha opened her home to Him, she gave Him the invitation to dinner, but she was too busy to spend time with Him. Too busy to be still, she literally ran around, distracted and worried about many things other than Him. Maybe she wanted to cook Him a fancy dinner because she loved Him. Maybe she wanted to cook Him a fancy dinner to impress Him. No matter what her motive, she missed sitting at His feet and listening to Him. Simply being in His presence was the most important thing, but she didn't get it. Her sister Mary sat, though. Mary understood that dinner would get done eventually, things would get done, or maybe they wouldn't, but none of that really mattered. The thing that mattered most was sitting right in front of her face, and she was going to be Still.
There is a beautiful old lullaby called "Still, Still, Still." It is traditionally a Christmas carol; Mary holds the baby Jesus in her arms and soothes Him as He sleeps. A cold night in a manger, and a newborn baby needed wrapping in swaddling clothes and a mother's warm comfort. Still, Still, Still. Peace, heart be still.
When a little baby flails, they need swaddling. As panic sets in and arms reach out, swaddling gives them the comfort of stillness. The safety of being Still, Still, Still. So it is with the quiet place of Jesus Christ. Choosing to go there with Him, and sitting still at His feet, we swaddle ourselves with the sweet lullaby of the gospel. We protect ourselves from the things of this world, our distracted arms nestled safely beside us. And He sings a love song over our souls. Oh, the safety and security of the gospel...the LOVE of it. It is swaddling clothes for those who believe.
In this life, there are many things for which to be distracted and worried, but only one thing is necessary. One thing is most important. One thing is needed, and that is time at His feet. Still, Still, Still. Peace, heart be still.
