“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”- Psalm 46:10

At the beginning of May I asked a parent of one of our seniors if their student was ready for graduation? The mother replied, “She is ready, but first we all have to get through the month of May-hem.” I heard this and it stopped me in my tracks. It spoke to me in a very honest and open way, and caused me to reflect on what she meant and realizing how busy the month of May is for families.

We seem to think that being “busy” is a badge of honor in our society these days. We not only fill our schedules to the brim, but we fill our children’s schedules to the brim as well, equating “business” with productiveness. We try to cram every single minute of the day with some sort of activity.

We constantly busy ourselves in some sort of venture. I would assume that most of the ventures we consume ourselves with are motivated by our secular and worldly interests and passions. For some of us, being busy is probably even an addiction. An addiction that takes our time, money and peace.

But in our busy-ness we can lose something. We should be filling our lives and our hearts with the things of God and the things that are not of this world. But, how many of us claim to be too busy to pray, go to Sunday Worship, or get involved with a Bible Study or class? These are all endeavors that will enable us to learn and grow in our relationship with God. How many of us are too busy or too uncomfortable to spend an hour a week in adoration before the Lord of the universe?

Being busy, it is an excuse. We are uncomfortable in the presence of God, and the enemy senses this in us, and exploits it. The thing that the world does not want the most is our growing in our unselfishness, which all the things that we become too busy to do, lead us away from

Be still, being still is the exact opposite of being busy. When we are still, and we un-busy ourselves, we can detach from the material and selfish world. When we are still, we can begin to know God, we can begin to dialogue with him, and most importantly listen to him. We are fooled into busying ourselves with the clutter and noise of this world, who masks and convinces us that it is necessary and even virtuous. We lose our souls in the anxiety and worry that the adrenaline of the “busyness rush” brings with it. When we slow down, and be still, we can truly become what we are created to be.

We can focus on the internal and spiritual. We can become united with God. The unity that God desires for us. If we ask him to settle our lives more so we can dedicate those lives back to him, he will give us the answers on how to spend our time, and how to quiet our souls.

There is a reason why we wish the departed a “rest in peace.” Because it is only in rest, and quiet, and stillness, that we will find that peace we all long for. It can be found here on Earth, within the very spirit and breathe of God. We must take the time to find it.

Let it be filled with peace, quiet and stillness. Let’s find the true meaning of Sabbath.