Pressing Pause

Psalm 46:10
“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”

FOMO. Also known as the “fear of missing out.” Have you ever experienced the feeling? We don’t want to miss the next viral video, meme, or online trend. We’re afraid of getting behind on what our friends are all talking about. If we don’t constantly interact with what is happening online, we think we could cease to exist! Or… something like that. Have you ever noticed how we constantly move at a non-stop pace? Even during this “stay home” thing, it’s busy and hectic.

I personally thought that I was going to have all the time in the world, now that I’m getting to stay home, but some days feel even busier and more pact than the time before COVID. There’s are endless sounds and images that are constantly flashing before our eyes. There has never been a time in the history of the world when people have had more information shoved in their faces each day than right now. Even when we decide to be lazy and “do nothing,” we still end up binge-watching, downloading music, playing computer games, and instant messaging our friends—all at the same time.

No wonder God often feels so far away in the midst of our busy nonstop lives. There is this verse in the book of Psalms that says, “Be Still and know that I am God.” Want to know God? Be still… This means we need to stop, wait, and pay attention. We need to drown out the noise around us and stop scrolling for a minute. This verse in Psalms also says God will be exalted among the nations. The word exalted means lifted above all else. If God is to be lifted up in our life then we need to turn down our other notifications. We will notice God if we shut off the constant noise around us.

What if one of the reasons we find it so difficult to start a conversation with God is that we don’t stay still long enough to see how much He is already present in our lives? What if by constantly trying not to miss out on things that don’t really matter, we are actually missing out on some important things that really do? A great way to start a conversation with God today is to press pause and be still. After all, what is the point of moving so fast if you don’t actually know which direction you are supposed to be headed?