We seem to have difficulty being still these days, don’t we?

For many of us, life happens at warp speed. We’re always on the go, and have little downtime to pause and Reflect on things.

But with all our constant motion, are we missing out on something?

Recently, I visited a park with a pond large enough to almost be a small lake. A slight breeze left ripples on the water, disturbing the reflection of the trees in the distance. The image on the water’s surface was wavy and impressionistic, not a true representation of the landscape nearby.

I then walked to a different part of the park where a river flowed lazily into the pond. The water was running slowly, and because it was sheltered from the breeze in this area, it was very still. The trees here were perfectly reflected in the water, giving a mirror image of their true forms.

I guess that to get the best reflection in water, stillness is the key.

Perhaps the spiritual lesson here is that if our lives are too frantic, it’s hard for us to reflect Christ.

It takes time to study Scripture, learn about Christ’s nature and absorb His teachings. We need quiet moments in our lives to assess our own Character and behaviour, and makes some changes when we’re not living up to His standard.

We simply need a bit more stillness in our lives to accurately mirror Christ’s character. After all, isn’t that one of our jobs as Christians? Just as Jesus reflects God’s character, we should try to mirror Christ to a lost world.

“Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ.” (Philippians 1:27 God’s Word translation)

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT)

“He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3 Good News)

When people look at us as believers, they should be able to see a reflection of God’s character: His love, His goodness, His mercy. Some people will never pick up Scripture itself and learn about God that way: we believers are the only “Bible” they’ll ever read.

Also, God knows that we need some stillness in our lives for our own sakes, too: a frenetic and hyperactive lifestyle isn’t good for us. It’s draining and exhausting, and can keep us too busy to deepen our relationship with Him. He knows that sometimes we just need to press “pause” on our hectic schedules and commune with Him, reflect on His character, and wait on Him.

“He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.” (Psalm 23:2 AMP)

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10a NLT)

“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.” (Psalm 37:7a NLT)

A still spirit and heart let us be more open to hearing from God. Sometimes, our minds are such a jumble of racing thoughts that God might have trouble getting a word in edgewise! Especially in the times we’re living in now, we need to hear what God is telling us. He sometimes speaks in a “still, small voice,” and only those who are still themselves will perceive His message.

So let’s try to inject some stillness into our busy lives.

It’ll do us good emotionally, help us hear from God, and allow us to better reflect Christ to others.

Sounds like a win-win-win proposition to me!

© 2020 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.