The "Pause" Button

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Recently I had a conversation with some dear Christian friends about “pausing.” One friend told a story about the day a granddaughter visited her grandmother. She wanted Grandma’s attention, but Grandma was busy with something else.
“Grandma, can you please push the pause button?” said her granddaughter.
It started her grandma thinking about how we need to “push the pause button” in our lives so we can be still and listen to what the Lord wants to say to us.
When someone asks how we’re doing, we often sigh, “I’m so busy.” What if instead we said, “Well, I’m really focusing on pausing”? Would that get us a strange look? Off the top of my head, I can recall more verses which tell us to slow down than those which tell us to get busier! “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psa. 46:1010Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)). “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isa. 30:1515For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. (Isaiah 30:15)). “Their strength is to sit still” (Isa. 30:77For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. (Isaiah 30:7)). “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall” (Ruth 3:1818Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day. (Ruth 3:18)). “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:1919But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)). (It doesn’t exactly say she was still, but personally, I can’t ponder very well when I’m flying around!) On the other hand, we are told to “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:1313And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (Luke 19:13)), and “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:1010Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)). We need a balance. But my heart has been challenged to make the effort to pause.