I have deleted and restarted this blog 5 different times now. Why? Because, while I love creating the perfect schedule for spiritual disciplines and visualizing how organized and peaceful my life will be with them in it, life happens, and then all my best-laid plans fly out the window. So as I’ve struggled to write this, God has been letting me wrestle with what I will call the spiritual discipline of stillness. Here’s why I’m thankful for that and why I believe this is part of the heart behind all of our spiritual practices.  

1. We are a work in progress... and that’s what the disciplines were designed for.  

To be human is to desire something more, to acknowledge that there is a hole in our hearts that need to be filled. God designed us this way so that we would come and fill our empty longings with Him. He is the satisfaction we were made for, and the spiritual disciplines are opportunities to recognize our need, be honest about it, then open that space to God.  

This is vital because, while we have souls and connect with God in spiritual ways, we also have bodies and live in a physical world that is broken because of our sin. But, wonder of wonders, our God knows that, still loves us, and chose to put on a human body Himself. In doing this, He proves that our physical being matters. Spiritual disciplines are physical acts that allow spiritual truths to penetrate our hearts and souls more deeply. Never dismiss the beauty of your broken, messy life, for God does not shy away from it. Rather, He meets us in that space. 

2. Welcoming God into the moment... or rather, letting Him welcome us. 

So how do we do this? We “be still” (Ps. 46:1). We open ourselves and wait. The spiritual life is not a schedule, but a mindset, a heart-set, if that’s a word. It is saying “Hey God, here I am. Yours.” Then we watch - not only the beauty He puts around us, but the places where we can bring His goodness. The discipline of stillness is to have a posture of openness before God. Whenever you see something lovely, sit in it for a second. Acknowledge the glory of that moment, even if it’s just your two-year-old spilling something... again.  Life will not automatically feel incredible, but as appreciation becomes a habitual way of viewing everything, you start to feel like God is winking at you, making inside jokes with you throughout an ordinary day. 

This can be summed up in what David says in Psalm 27: 

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock... You [God] have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’” (Psalm 27:4-5, 8). 

May we be still in our emptiness before Him, even when life is not still, with anticipation that He will fill us. Creating a plan for time with God is important, but don’t be surprised when God meets you in the middle of life as well. Let’s keep our eyes open to all He is doing! 

*Editor's note: This is the last post of our spiritual disciplines theme! We hope this has been encouraging and helpful for you as summer runs at full speed. The other articles are linked in case you missed any or want to reread one.