Quiet Heart

Psalm 46:10a says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Hmm. Surely that doesn't mean "sit still and know that I am God." On the contrary, I believe it means a stillness of spirit, of the heart.
In our society today, it's hard to be still in spirit. We're constantly bombarded with books, movies, music, television, the internet, and cell phones (not to mention real time spent with our friends instead of talking to them) to keep our thoughts occupied every second of every day. Why? Because we don't want to think. We are afraid of being alone with our thoughts. However, a Christian desperately needs that quiet time to think and worship the Lord. Have you ever sat down to read your Bible but were unable to focus because song lyrics pop into your head or your phone beeps with a text from a friend? It's happened to me before, and it frustrates me!
So if having such a busy heart is a problem... how do we fix it?
Here are three practical ways to start.

1. Turn it off. Decide on a set time to be done with electronics for the night. For instance, I turn my phone of at 9 pm, and I don't turn it back on in the morning till after I've had my quiet time. It's a lot less tempting to "check it really quick" if you know it has to start up first.
2. Tune it out. Purpose to listen only to worship music for a week or even a month. Your heart will be more focused on worship.
3. Memorize. This is probably the most helpful one! Memorize scripture to fill your mind. I like to memorize words of Jesus from the gospels. When I think of them, it's like Jesus speaking right to me! It helps you relax, too.
   

Hope those easy ideas help to cultivate a calm, more focused heart.

In Christ,
Becky