WEEKLY WISDOM - BE STILL

Still: deep silence and calm; stillness

When was the last time you were still for one minute? I know that only one minute can seem like eternity when stillness is not a normal part of your rhythm. Think about it. Stillness is a practice and resource that is readily available to you but may be rarely used. Unfortunately, we live in a society where we are led to believe that the busier we are, the more meetings we have, the more packed our schedules are, the more organizations we belong to, the more effective we are. We truly believe we are celebrated for the busyness of our time instead of the sacred and reflective benefits of being still.

I’ve been in seasons where from the time I wake up in the morning, I don’t stop working until my head hits the pillow. The longer this lasted, the more challenged my effectiveness became. I had to make a conscious decision to stop the madness!

As a leader, you must be conscientious of the benefits of being still so that you are able to operate at your highest capacity. A major benefit is it allows personal communion with the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, direct, and provide wisdom regarding yourself as well as your leadership. Being still has proven to provide substantial clarity of thought especially in challenging or difficult circumstances or decisions you may face. Other benefits are the impacts on your mental health and physical state of being. According to a study reported by Healthline.com, there was evidence that being still and silent promoted the following mental and health benefits: Lowering blood pressure, improving concentration and focus, stimulating brain growth, stimulating creativity, improving insomnia, and encouraging mindfulness. Why would you as a leader dismiss this practice when it is packed with these benefits?

Your ultimate purpose for stillness is to connect with God, hear what the Holy Spirit reveals to you, and execute on the wisdom given to be effective in leadership and life. This is also a heart's desire for God to spend time with you as well. As a loving Father, He only wants the best for you, to prosper you and give you hope and future. He wrote in His Word “Be Still and Know that I am God”, Psalm 46:10.

In the word of God, there are many examples of leaders would take time for stillness: Paul, Peter, Jeremiah, Elijah, Moses, Joseph, Adam, and of course Jesus. "Being Still" must be significant and life-giving if all these leaders regularly incorporated it into their life rhythm.

Where do you find this time of being still? In my discovery, there are more opportunities throughout the day for stillness to occur and you as a leader are more empowered to carve out time for your stillness. Your stillness opportunities include the following: first priority in the morning, before you go to sleep at night, as you travel to work, before you go to lunch or right after lunch, on our way home from work or right after you close your computer for the day, during your travel time in your car or on a plane. You get the point.

Empower yourself and block your schedule for 15-30 minutes daily to make this practice a priority and watch your growth excel in every area of your leadership and life. Additional scriptures to support being still include the following: Habakkuk 2:20, 1st Samuel 12:16 and Psalms 46:1-7.

(EQUIPPING)

Exercise Your Power this week

1. Identify the best time for you to be still daily and challenge yourself to begin this stillness practice for at least 5-10 minutes.  

2. When you are by yourself going from one place to another, turn off any noise so that you can focus on hearing the Holy Spirit.
   

3. Over the past few weeks, determine what the Holy Spirit has been telling you about your personal and professional life.