Be Still Before God

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"'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."--Psalm 46:10-11

With 95% of Gen Z owning a mobile device, Gen Z is the first generation to be fully submerged in a world of mobile devices, online gaming, and social media use, making them the most connected generation to date. Recent studies reveal that the average American teenager spends an "astounding" nine hours a day connected to some form of digital technology, entertaining themselves with streaming video, engaging on social media, listening to music, or playing games.

Needless to say, many teenagers have a hard time being still and or quiet.

But here's the secret: So do many youth ministers.

This passage from Psalm 46 is a popular one when it comes to teaching students the value of being alone with God. But it turns out there is a whole lot more to this idea of being still.

Jonathan Edwards, the great 18^th-century preacher and theologian, said that to be still before God means "to still our tongues and our actions so that God can be exalted while we become humbled."

The whole idea is to submit ourselves totally to God and His direction for our lives. We need to be still and spend time alone with God for our spiritual growth. This is vital as we live out our calling to serve and minister to teenagers. It just might be even more critical in all the busyness and noise of preparing for Easter.

But we need to let God still the noise, still the busyness, and still the "me" in our lives so He can be exalted, and we can discover His peace that surpasses all understanding.

Be intentional to make time during all the preparation this Holy Week to seek stillness with God. Be deliberate to take time to “still our tongues and our actions.” And seek to still those parts of your life that take away from your devotion to Him “so that God can be exalted while we become humbled.”

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

• In all the excitement and prep this Holy Week, how are you intentionally carving out time to be still before God?
• What are the potential things that could take you away from your devotion to Him this week?

Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been revamped and edited for this reposting. 

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