Cultivating Confidence Part 4: The Confidence to Be Still

Often when I think of being confident and courageous, I think of action. That stepping out. That pulling off the mask. That facing of fears.

But confidence is also found in being still. That ceasing of the striving for approval. That letting go of the attempts to control. That stopping of the hustle to plan it all, do it all, figure it all out. And being still brings more confidence for the stepping out, the pulling off, the facing.

For in the stillness, we find strength. In the stillness, we find rest and renewal. In the stillness, we hear the whispers of God.

It can be hard to be still. Because we like to be in control. We like to accomplish and do and strive, and we try to do it in our own strength, relying on our own abilities. We wear busy like a badge of honor, but we’re heading straight for burn out.

It’s no wonder the idea of slowing down and simplifying has become a popular topic of books and blogs. Because we so often need it. We need the stillness. Not just times of physical rest and quiet, but we need a deep stillness in our souls in the midst of the crazy turmoils of life. 

But we can be so afraid to stop and be still. To let our souls find stillness in the ceasing and the letting go. Afraid that if we do cease and let go, we will lose the little control we do have, and the crazy turmoil will take over. 

In His Word, God calls His people to stillness:

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14, NIV

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 37:7, NIV

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10, NIV

Rather than being fearful in face of an approaching army, bent on destroying them, God calls His people to be still and trust that He will protect them.

Rather than fretting over the deeds and success of evil men, God calls His people to be still and trust that He will bring about justice.

Rather than being afraid when trouble comes, God calls His people to be still and trust that He is with them. 

We don’t need to strive and hustle to maintain control, because God is in control. He is the One who is Sovereign over all. In this truth there is stillness for the soul. 

We are not alone in the challenges we face, for the Lord goes before us and the Lord fights for us. Rather than the quaking with fear, rather than shaking with insecurities, we can be still. We can have peace. We can have a calm confidence, that stillness in our souls, because we know God is present. He is our strength, our fortress, our rock, our courage, our refuge, our confidence.

God is present. His Spirit is with us. His Spirit is within us. In the Presence of God, this is where we find confidence. There is no fear in the face of fears when we face them in the Presence of God. God’s love quiets our fears. God’s perfect love casts out our fears.

We are called to Be still and know. 

Be.
Still.
Know.

In putting into practice these three simple words, we will find confidence. For being still in the Presence of God brings confidence to be still in the midst of the fears we must face and the battles of life we must fight.

Be  
Take time to just be in the Presence of God. Spend time with Him in prayer, in reading His Word, in praising His Name. Listen to His whispers of love for you, His songs of joy over you, His telling of His delight in you. 

Still
Stillness doesn’t mean doing nothing. Stillness means doing nothing without God. In all you do, rest, rely, and rejoice in Jesus, letting Him renew and rejuvenate you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Know
Get to know your God. Know that He is God and that He is with you. Know His commands. Know His promises. Know His truth. Know His Word. When we know this, we can stand on this, and when we stand on this, we find the confidence to stand firm in the face of fears, and we find the confidence to step out in faith.

It’s such irony, that being still can be so hard. But with all the distractions and to-dos that pull and nag at us, that irony is definitely a reality. We want peace and quiet. We want some calm in the midst of the storm, but it is so difficult to find. So here are a few things that have helped me, and may help you in being still:

Limit distractions
When you have your Jesus time of prayer and reading your Bible, find somewhere quiet, and don’t bring your phone or laptop with you. I know many of us have Bible apps on our phones, and they are helpful, but maybe you need to use a physical Bible rather than the digital so you won’t be distracted by all the other apps.

Do a social media fast
Social media, or rather, how we use social media, can cause a lot of insecurities to enter our hearts and a lot of voices to enter our heads. The comparing and jealousies that arise from scrolling through other people’s pics can really beat us up. Give your mind and heart a bit of rest by doing a social media fast. It doesn’t have to be long, even just a day. Since April, I’ve been doing social media free weekends, and it has been so helpful to me in having those regular times of clearing my head and quieting my heart.

Memorize Scripture
Hide God’s Word in your heart. The more you do so, the more His Word will come to your mind and bring clarity and calm in the midst of life’s challenges.

Pray through your to-do list
Does everything you have to do today keep crowding your mind as you try to pray or read your Bible? Rather than trying to shove them aside, write them out. Make your to-do list, and as you do, pray about each thing you write. Pray that God would help you do it with diligence and excellence. Ask Him to give you the strength and wisdom needed. Ask Him how you could share His love as you go about completing these tasks. And give Him the permission to interrupt and redirect your day, even if it means you won’t be able to cross everything off the list.  

Being still before God brings stillness throughout the day, and confidence to face the day.

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