How to Be Still in God

Can I be honest? Lately, I’ve been in this place with God where I feel like I’m constantly asking Him for more. More responsibility, more money and more community and network just to name a few. And I feel like He WILL INDEED answer but in the meantime, I can’t help but think to myself “God, what are you waiting for?! I’m ready NOW!” And then, like the stillness of night, I feel like God goes quiet on me. 

Fun Fact: This week, I will hit 31 weeks into my pregnancy with baby number 2 and let me just tell you, “Quiet” is THE LAST adjective I would use to describe this pregnancy so far. Frankly, because of how “eventful” it has been, it has made me appreciate the still, quiet days of normalcy. 

As I parallel this season of my pregnancy with my relationship with God a couple of revelations come to mind and I want to share them with you. 

Revelation #1: God is Preparing Character in the Quietness

Have you ever caught yourself becoming entitled with God? Like truly feeling heartbroken because you didn’t get your way. I have. But what I have come to learn is that God hardly says “no” as much as He will say “not yet”. This creates an impatience in us because we feel “oh so ready” for whatever it may be. I’ll use my pregnancy for instance. My firstborn is set to turn five before this baby is born, and to me, that is a MUCH LARGER age gap than I ever wanted for my kids, especially the 1^st and 2^nd. I always dreamed of and desired that they would be close in age (if not twins). But the way The Lord would have it, that didn’t happen. My husband and I never changed anything we were doing to conceive but for some reason, it still never happened until now (and even this pregnancy has its own story entirely). 

Over the course of the last four years since having my son, I have found myself questioning God on His timing with baby #2. It wasn’t until I finally got pregnant this time, that I feel like I hear Him loud and clear. In His answering, He showed me just how much my husband and I needed to grow. Grow together and individually as people, as parents and as a team. It’s honestly almost laughable how “ready” I thought I was back then, but God knew otherwise. He knew what was enough for us for the time being, regardless of our hearts huge desire for more children. 

I don’t know what you are asking God for in this season, but I want to encourage you to practice being still and trusting that Father truly does know best. He promises to give us life and life more abundantly, right? What is “more abundant” about the so-called blessing you asked for turning into a burden if its given out of God’s timing and out of His will? Whether you are believing God for a house or a spouse (or anything in between), I challenge you to trust His timing. 

Really do yourself a favor and lean into understand the things that God may be trying to show you before He opens that door for you. Do you need to become a better steward over your money? Are you a people pleaser? Do you have a settler’s mentality? Are you overburdened by other people’s problems? Are you unorganized in your thoughts or career endeavors? Whatever it is, I promise you once you incline your ear to Heaven, He will reveal this place of growth to you. 

Revelation #2: Stillness Can Be the Biggest Blessing

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.” I can’t tell you how many times I can apply this in my life! Although I catch myself much quicker these days, there are times when I must remind myself to just be grateful for this current season/circumstance and stop always “wishing” life would get better. As my son is coming out of the toddler stage and into the preschool stage, I can tell you the last 3 years have been very hard. (Now keep in mind I didn’t say these were the HARDEST years of parenting, but they are hard, nonetheless. These years have felt ENDLESS at times, especially as a stay at home mom.

Time and maturity have taught me however, the DAYS are long, but the YEARS truly do fly by. These years are the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for. To be able to never miss a moment of his life, to be able to be his first and primary influence, to be able to have a front row seat as he learns and grows is something I simply wouldn’t trade for anything in the entire world. But if I were busy with my own agenda, I would miss so many little things. Allow me to elaborate. 

I have the spirit of an entrepreneur like you wouldn’t believe. So much so, that I have invested in so many business ventures/ideas that I truly thought that I would be a household name by now. (Laughable, I know! However, I’m so serious). While dating, my then boyfriend (now husband) and I mutually went into business together and bought into an idea that we truly believed in. We excelled quickly in that business, but ultimately it didn’t work out. The reasons why are still out with the jury, but one thing I can say for certain is we still had A LOT of learning and growing to do. We didn’t know the first thing about how to manage money, how to find mentors, or how to even build a business as a couple that didn’t hate each other or wasn’t cheating on each other by the time we got to the “top”. And now, almost 8 years later, that business and most of those couples don’t exist anymore. 

I can firmly say that I’m glad it didn’t work out when I thought I wanted it to. I wasn’t willing to pay the price it would have cost (my marriage & family) to keep that dream alive.  I also learned how to hear from (and listen) to God’s voice in the stillness of what I thought was disappointment at the time. Can you relate? Has God been saying “no” or “not yet” a lot to you lately? As your sister, I can assure you He sees something you don’t see. 
The person you are connected to may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing and God may be trying to increase your discernment and/or your boldness. You don’t have to be an economics major to see that our world is rapidly changing, and not all for the good. 

My husband and I constantly pray for God to protect us from dangers seen and unseen; but the revelation behind that is that we aren’t just referring to physical danger like car accidents. We mean people with ill intentions (family, friend or foe), we mean financial devours like debt, we mean untimely death of us or our loved ones, or anything else under the sun. 

“Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure…”

2 Tim 2:19

I can assure you that the reason you haven’t gotten your next “elevation” yet is because God is challenging your heart to be still, and likely in the most chaotic of circumstances. Do yourself a favor and just try it. Try to calm and quiet your spirit so that you can see what God is trying to show you and shield you from that way when your elevation does come, it’s built on a sure foundation according to 2 Tim 2:19.  

You can follow the author of this article and others on her self titled YouTube channel by clicking the following link: Adrienne Reece.