The "Pause" Button

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
 
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
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. 46:10). “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isa. 30:15). “Their strength is to sit still” (Isa. 30:7). “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall” (Ruth 3:18). “But 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 19:13), and “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:10). We need a balance. But my heart has been challenged to make the effort to pause.