Be still
Most Monday mornings when I get into the office, one of the first things I do to start my week is make a to-do list. I think about the tasks I need to get done, or I try to map out what my week might look like (knowing full well that my best-laid plans will likely go off course at some point).
I love a good to-do list. As things get crossed off, there’s a great feeling of accomplishment or achievement. Sometimes I’ll even add items to the list after I’ve done them just to have the satisfaction of marking them complete. Mostly, my handy lists help me feel somewhat in control of what’s going on around me.
If I’m being honest…there is a direct correlation between the length of my to-do lists and the times when I’m feeling particularly stressed, worried, or anxious. When life feels busy or a bit overwhelming, my inclination is to try to think of what’s within my control. What can I do that’s within my own power.
When things feel a bit chaotic, I try to figure out what I can do to re-organize a bit. When I’m feeling consumed by my own worries or under pressure of a certain deadline, my impulse is to do more, work faster, find whatever I can that’s under my own influence.
I have to laugh that our house is never cleaner than when it’s been a stressful week at work. Or re-organizing the pantry seems like the perfect project when there’s something happening in my world that can’t be solved with a to-do list.
It’s often about the time I feel most exhausted that I remind myself of one of my favorite bible verses, from Exodus, chapter 14.
It comes up when Moses has finally convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free. But as they’re making their escape, Pharaoh sends his army after them. Just as they approach the Red Sea, the mass of people realize they’re stuck. There’s an approaching army on one side of them. And a large body of water on the other.
They’re panicked, scared, unsure — and there’s really nothing they themselves can do to change the situation. It’s then that Moses gives them a bit of a pep talk, saying: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm. The Lord will fight for you. You only need to keep still.”
At some time or another, all of us are probably tempted to try to take things into our own hands. To do whatever is within our power to will ourselves toward a certain outcome. But then there are times that no amount of effort, no to-do list will make a difference.
God offers this simple (but profound) reminder: when we’re tempted to try to do more, sometimes our best option is simply to be still. Remember your life rests in the hands of our God who is caring and compassionate, who promises to walk alongside us.
The Lord will provide the way forward and will take care of the to-do lists. Our job is to be still and trust in God’s faithfulness.
-Katy Warren, associate pastor
