10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;This verse says that we need to be still and rest in our knowledge of God's might and glory. At first, this may look like a verse that is only telling us to slow down and take a breather, but there are deeper levels behind what this means. There is more to rest and peace than emptying one's mind. In fact, there is a whole view of prayer, spiritual discipline, and worship known as contemplative prayer, that is rooted in the heart of this verse, among many others.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The discipline of rest, both physical and spiritual, recognizes that God is still in control, even when we are not busy bearing fruit in ministry. The "radical" Christian movement posits that we need to use every waking breath and dollar for God's glory. One way I used to argue this point to myself is that there are dying people out there who wish they could live intentionally while we waste the same amount of time doing nothing. The same thing applies for some poor people who would not waste their money on fun or entertainment if they had some. However, if you follow this line of thought out to its logical conclusion, you find that spending any time or money not doing something eternally-minded would be sinful. This would mean no more games, eating food more expensive than a dollar or two, or sleeping more than what is minimally required to function. Of course, you would tell me this would be a horrible idea, but why? What reason would you give me? Would it be a reason that God would give me? You only live once? But, if I only live once (before heaven), then that makes my argument stronger, not weaker. If we have a reason, it should be one that glorifies God, and, heads up, such a reason exists and is shown by the scripture above and below. Now, before I get into my explanation let me make it clear that most people struggle with not being intentional enough, (so the "radical" movement has been a major blessing for the American church) but there are many of us, including myself, who have struggled with guilt whenever time or money is wasted for this reason. In fact, much of my current semester in seminary has been growth along these lines.
When we have fun, it celebrates the fact that God values us more than the fruit that we bear in our ministries. God wants us to understand both that He loves us and that He doesn't need us to accomplish His goals. He wants us to be partners with Him in ministry as well as allow us to enjoy this privilege, but we also see that He values more than the "radical" Christian life. For instance, why does beauty exist if God doesn't care for more than ministry? Fun and Beauty can heal the soul and help it grow. In fact, God says that people who don't enjoy life are wasting it. Look at Ecclesiastes 6:1-6:
1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. 3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?and Ecclesiastes 5:19:
19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.God wants people to enjoy life because it acknowledges that He loves us and that He is actively interested in our lives being happy (as much as I like talking about the superiority of joy to happiness). However, we do not take this to the extreme of the (horrible) Prosperity Gospels that are popular these days and treat God like a self-serving vending machine. One only needs to continue the most recent scripture quote to see this in verse 20:
20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.We also know that the call to follow Christ is one that can call us out of our comfort zones, possessions, relationships, and life/career goals. Two such examples are Luke 9:23-25:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?and one of the less known Biblical promises: 2 Timothy 3:12:
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,So, there is a level of discernment here. We are called to enjoy ourselves, which is known as the Discipline of Feasting (as opposed to Fasting), but there are many (if not most) who need to learn how to Fast for the kingdom. A fancy word for this is Kenosis: emptying our lives of even morally neutral things in order to make room to spend the freed up time and money on eternal things. So, in conclusion, there is a balance between the two that needs to be discerned through prayer, time in the Word, and discernment with other believers. If you find yourself needing to Feast and recognize God's love and presence here and now, let me suggest the following discipline: This is a chant (if that word scares you, you can make this a song and sing it) that you can repeat as often as you want and can be done alone or in groups:
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Peace of Christ to you,
Simeon Snow
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