What Are You Avoiding?
He says, “Be still, and know that I am
God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
–
Psalm 46:10
Just how busy are you? Do you find yourself constantly
on the go? Do you work long days and then fill your nights and weekends with
other activities, such as meetings, kids’ sports or dance, church and volunteer
work? Do you ever rest?
Many years ago I had a friend who never rested. This
contractor worked hard. And when the day was done? Well, he continued to fill
the hours. He didn’t do anything bad. It wasn’t that kind of thing. He went to
the movies or a museum. He went out to eat with friends or planned an excursion
somewhere fun. On the surface, it was a great life.
But I began to notice something about him. He never
rested. Never. It was almost as though he couldn’t stand to be alone with his
thoughts or, indeed, with himself. There was an underlying sadness about him,
no matter how often he laughed. He was living life on the surface in a
desperate attempt to avoid what was inside.
I’ve been thinking a lot about him lately. I’m in a
different state, with a different life, but I’ve met a woman who reminds me of
my old friend. I’ve known her for several years and she is a delightful person.
She is quick to smile, quick to volunteer, quick to get involved. She is one of
the busiest people I know.
I didn’t realize it until I tried to schedule a
meeting around her schedule. She works all day, then almost every night is
filled with some activity. The weekends are no exception. She seems to thrive
on being busy. But there is an emptiness to her.
She tries desperately to control everything she’s
involved in. Her conversations are sprinkled with gossip. Her tongue bites
anyone who disagrees with her. She has no patience with those who don’t meet
her standards. She is one of the unhappiest people I know.
I look at my own life. I think of the times I filled
my days in a desperate attempt to avoid facing myself. Unhappiness is an awful
companion. Reality can be a hopeless trigger to truth we’d do anything to
avoid.
We will never find true satisfaction in busyness. We
will never be content on the frantic treadmill of life. Our only peace comes in
those quiet moments of solitude we spend with our Creator.
Sooner or later we all come face to face with that
reality. We can’t ignore truth forever, no matter how hard we try. We’ll
eventually burn out, our bodies will give way, our crammed days will open up
with time. God won’t let us avoid Him forever.
Conviction is a powerful weapon God uses to draw us
toward Him. It’s when we realize we’ve been avoiding Him, failing to live up to
His standards, and trying to hide our unhappiness, that we finally look in the
mirror to see who we are and, more importantly, who He is.
Be still. His words beckon to us. We shy away. Who
wants to face unhappiness? But the only way to get to the other side is to deal
with today. He’s right there. You won’t
be alone. God will never leave you alone to face whatever you are desperately
trying to avoid.
Sometimes the hardest steps are actually the easiest.
Slow down. Fall to your knees. Cry out to Him. Let His Presence wash over you.
Let yourself be held in His everlasting arms. Trust Him. Creator God can heal
you from the inside out.
