Being Still and Wait For the Lord

For the past few weeks, a question has lingered in my mind. I wasn't really aware of it, but it usually came out in the way I thought about moments of hardship, conflict in relationships and friendships, and just the usually sufferings of life under the sun. Are you ready? 

What do I do?

That is the question I have been asking myself and asking God. What do I do?

What do I do in the midst of conflict among friends? What do I do when a friend is angry with me for trying to speak the truth? What do I do when the people around me are suffering? What do I do when the Enemy is trying to devour a fellow sister? What do I do when I'm fearful of people while leading? What do I do?

What do I do when my newsfeed is filled with people who are angry or sad about a verdict or people's response to that verdict? What do I do when I feel compassion for both sides? 

What do I do when I have no idea where I will be in a year? What do I even do with my life?

What do I do?

I've been waiting for an answer. Or rather I've been anxious and worrisome and not at peace, not realizing that I've been waiting for an answer. 

But the answer is simple, and it's found in the Psalms.

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

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:7

Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
Psalm 31: 24

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27: 14

A beautiful thing about the Psalms is that they are balm for a weary soul. 

In the midst of my what do I do's, I needed to be reminded that it's not about what I do, it's about what God does and what He has already done. Often that looks like me being still and waiting patiently for the Lord to be the one to do the work. 

I can lovingly encourage a friend, but I can't change the circumstances she is dealing with. I can lovingly speak the truth in love to a friend, but I have no control over how they take that truth. I can pray for someone that is really struggling, but ultimately God is the one that sets them free. 

It's not on me. It's on God. 

Being still and waiting for the Lord doesn't look inactive. I should still be doing the things He has called me to do, like loving people and praying and doing my school work. BUT my heart posture should be trusting that He is really the one at work.

And that's liberating. So what do I do amidst so many hard things? I can pray and I can be still and wait for the one that is sovereign over all. 



P.S I just had to put a cute picture of Spice. He's a good example of being still and waiting patiently.