God’s design for little ones is that they don’t need milk from mom as they mature. They are filled and satisfied by blessings other than milk from mom, and at peace. Quiet. Content. At rest. Silently sitting, enjoying the moment without stress or selfishness.
“But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (Psalm 131:2).
Doesn’t that sound attractive for us as adults? We need more quiet times. We need more peace and rest. We need less stress in our multimedia-driven world overflowing with news and notifications. There’s so much noise!
Meditation is really becoming more popular, and silence in our noisy world is becoming more necessary. Google the words “stress” along with “meditation” or “silence” and you’ll get all kinds of help and instruction for emptying your mind.
God’s solution for stress caused by too much self-focus is actually the opposite. You could still practice medication and silence, but instead of the goal of emptying yourself, the gift is being filled with God the Holy Spirit. Instead of hoping in nothing, meditating on nothing, thinking about nothing, you hope in the Lord, meditate on the Lord, think about the Lord.
The Bible says, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20).
Some of the most quiet, calm moments I have had with my granddaughter, when she was silent and sitting contently on my lap, was the time we spent reading. She’d just be soaking up the material in the book, not worried about anything else in that moment.
Some of the most quiet, calm moments you can have when you are filled with the Spirit and not worrying about anything else are the quiet times you spend with God reading the Bible, listening to Christian music, and giving thanks. You can do this alone, and it’s also multiplied when you do it with other Christians.
Instead of being filled with anxiety, you will be filled with God. Instead of being filled with complaining, you will be filled with God. Instead of being filled with depressed thoughts, you will be filled with God. Instead of being filled with all the problems in the world or all the problems of your kids or all the problems in the news, you will be filled with God. Instead of being filled with self-focused “woe is me” worry, you will be filled with God.
PRAYER: Dear God, I need more of you, and I want to be more silent in my soul so that there is quiet space for me to soak up your promises, your guidance, your love. Help me be more calm and content today. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Ask a friend who needs Jesus about meditation, if they’ve done it or like the idea. Talk about quietness, emptying your mind, and the importance of filling it up with God.