A Lesson on the Importance of Being Still (Faith in the Flare-Up).

Yesterday, I went to see my rheumatologist for a check-up (for those of you who don’t know, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis). I shared with him the problems I’ve had with my hips and knees.  He informs me that he believes it is either osteoarthritis or a flare-up.  Prednisone for the next week should help if it is a flare-up.   Hip x-rays were normal so I’m hopeful it is just a flare.  When you have a flare-up, the pain is so intense you do not want to move to do anything.  In the midst of this flare-up, God has taught me the importance of being still.  I want to share with you why it is important to take time to rest and be still.  I pray that this post helps you as you strive to grow closer in your relationship with God.

Why is Being Still Important?

Let’s face it, we all get caught up in work, family life, hobbies, etc… and before we know it, there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything we’ve set out to accomplish.  I recently wrote on how to develop a self-care plan and ways to practice self-care but it can be hard to find the time to do what we need to do to care for ourselves.  When you have a chronic illness, sometimes your body makes you take the time to rest and practice self-care (especially when in a flare-up). No matter what the case may be, we must always carve out time to spend time with our creator and just be still in him.  Being still is important because:

We Can Focus on Who God Is

I’m learning more and more that being still is important.  The Bible talks about the importance of being still often.  In Psalm 46:10 the Lord says “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth”.  God knows that if we don’t take the time to rest and focus on him, we can lose sight of who he is. 

David recognized the importance of this.  In Psalm 62:5 he says “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him”.  He made sure to carve out time to be still and focus on the Lord.   David wasn’t the only one that recognized the importance of resting.  According to the gospel of Luke, Martha’s sister Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching”.  She knew just how important resting in Christ was for her well-being.

Being Still (Resting) Brings Peace

Exodus 14:14 states “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still” (one of my favorite verses).  Often times we try to take matters into our own hands (I do that a lot as a social worker *sigh* We fight battles we have no business fighting. We need to rest and trust that God has our best interest at heart.  We can be assured that he will take care of us in any circumstance. If we stop fighting and follow the Lord, he will “make us lie down in green pastures”.   He will also “lead us beside still waters (Psalm 23:1)   It is important that we rest so that God can uplift and encourage us and give us peace.

Being Still in Him (Christ) Brings Safety and Strength

Psalm 91:1 says that “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty”.  It also says that he will deliver you from your enemy and deadly pestilence (pestilence is an epidemic disease that leads to death) (see all of Psalm Chapter 91 here). Isaiah 30:15 says “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” If you’re willing to rest in God, you will be saved.

Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Waiting on God and resting in him brings the strength you need to take on the world.

Why You Should Rest

Resting is important because it puts our perspective back on our creator.  It is also important because it brings peace, safety, and strength in the midst of any challenge.  The Bible says that “It is good to wait quietly on the Lord” (Lamentations 3:26). It also says that “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the one who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25). It’s important that we “stand still and see what great thing the Lord is about to do” (1 Samuel 12:16).

We need to allow Jesus to encourage and uplift us so that we can continue to do what he has called us to do if we allow him to uplift and encourage us, we will be less likely to experience burn out or give up.  We need to rest and replenish so that we can work for the kingdom and not “grow weary in doing good” (see Galatians 6:9). 

Dear one, I know that it can be hard to rest but it’s necessary.  I also know that if you have a chronic illness, sometimes you have no choice but to rest and you could be tempted to beat yourself up over it but know this, it doesn’t matter if you have to rest or if you choose to rest, resting is necessary for both your physical body as well as your soul.  Mind if I take a moment to pray with you?

Prayer

God, I pray for the person reading this post.  I ask that you help them to find time to rest in you alone.  I ask that as they wait for you, that you would uplift and encourage them so that they can effectively work to build the kingdom.  I pray that if there are some on here like me who have had to rest a lot due to chronic pain or illness that you would help them recognize the good that comes from resting and help them know that resting is nothing to be ashamed of.  Lord, please quiet their soul and refresh them so that they can be a light in this dark world.  Thank you, Lord for hearing and answering this prayer.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

A Song for You

“Resting is so important. Whether you choose to rest, or you are forced to because of injury or illness taking time to be still and rest can heal your mind, body, and soul. Read on to discover more.” class=”wp-image-843″/>

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