EXPOSE | Nothing is Not Nothing
“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing.” – A. A. Milne
EXPLORE | Doing Nothing Misses Something
His quote conjures up the image of Winnie the Pooh, sitting under a tree, lazily watching butterflies and bees. As the author of the Winnie the Pooh series, you can just imagine Milne having Pooh use those very words in response to Owl looking down from his perch to find Pooh doing nothing at all.
Get up? Get moving? Oh, bother.
But unlike Pooh bear, we’re not talking about enabling laziness. Doing nothing is not quite the same thing as being still. What should make it easier to see is comparing the two words: doing vs. being.
Additionally, do better understand where we’re headed, you don’t just want to refrain from doing something. Being still is a discipline, a rigor of the mind to keep itself and the body from striving. If only for a short time.
Could you be still for a full 15 minutes?
I’m not talking about not moving or making a sound. I mean, nothing. Not planning, not solving, not ruminating. No wishing, no itemizing, no forecasting.
It would be a stretch to say that I am capable of being still. In fact, my days often consist of my being in at least two meetings at the same time. The one I’m actually in, and the other one or two I’m having in my head. It is more a condition I am suffering from, than something I would recommend. This is why I find that question about being still, for any length of time, so intriguing.
Michael Hyatt does too. He wrote an article about stillness because of his run-in with the idea of doing nothing for 15 minutes every day. At the time of that article, he had “done nothing” for 15 minutes a day for 22 days in a row!
Typically when you hear the words “be still”, it brings to mind the familiar verse that continues: “and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).” In this case, I want to focus on just those first two words.
I’ve already pointed out that it is more than just trying not to do anything. There is an effort toward being. Doing nothing leads to nothing. Being still leads to knowing. This is the crucial difference between doing nothing and being still. Doing nothing misses the “something”. Consider this: be still, or, you won’t know that He is God. This would be a devastating “miss”. Without being still there would be significant “misses” all throughout our lives.
EXECUTION | Moving Forward by Being Still
For our teen boys, doing nothing has become an art form. I realize I am overstating it, as any parent would, but there is a principle that I want us to be aware of.
There is great value in learning to keep expectations and obligations and problem-solving from our minds. But it is only beneficial when, at the same time, we are practicing being still. By keeping our hearts and minds from racing, we are best able to see our way forward.
Benefits of being still
Keep (our minds and hearts) from becoming the Tasmanian Devil. Ruminating and trying to solve the future is like a flywheel. Our minds get to turning until we spin out of control, unable to respond properly, and are more likely to be reactive than proactive.
Being still is peaceful. It allows us to be reflective, observing what is going on inside, not to mention the physical benefits being freed from what is going on around us.
You could call this “active stillness.” That is, “be still and know…” Being still is a discipline, with the intention of observing and receiving. If we’re still, we can watch and listen and understand.
Practicing being still
Location, location, location. You’ll need to go to a place that doesn’t have anything in it that will trigger the “flywheel of your mind”. Typically, this would be a place you don’t normally go to, and to get started, may require you be a little ridiculous (attic?). I find that either being outside, or looking outside, tends to set the stage nicely.
Set a timer. Otherwise you’ll be distracted by looking at a clock. At first, this will be especially challenging.
Don’t get too relaxed… but don’t be uncomfortable either… each of those can be distracting.
Don’t open up anything. Not your computer, phone, books–nothin’. The one exception would be a notebook–and only when you need to write something down that you’ve observed or received.
Do nothing AND be still. I mentioned this earlier. It is both and. This is the opposite of “emptying your mind.” In this case, you want to fill your mind, but only with the right things. Cease (mentally) striving, but be (actively) still.
Ask yourself these questions before God:
- What do I need to know about myself?
- What do I need to know about who God is?
- What do I need to know about why God has me where I am?
- What is keeping me from doing what God wants me to do?
- What is most important right now?
- What should I be thankful for today?
The quiet of the morning is the perfect setting for being still. Enjoy that time of “being free as a teenager” to observe, listen, and know. Being still is the best way forward.
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Further reading:
What is the meaning of the verse be still and know that I am God?
Photo by Matthew Kosloski on Unsplash
