Good morning…
“I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they are unable to stay quietly in their own room,” astutely observed Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal in the 1600’s.
Oddly, staying quietly in my own room was always my favorite form of discipline as a child. When I was reeling and wound tight, emotionally overwhelmed and lashing out, I secretly loved to hear these four words, “Go to your bedroom.” Taking time out cooled me down, calmed my crazy, and helped me find my way back to balance. Beyond my awareness, staying quietly in my own room I was grounded by God.
As grown up kids, when we are reeling and wound up, emotionally overwhelmed and lashing out, why is it so hard for us to take time out, to stay quietly in our own room until our balance is restored? Breaking down Pascal’s ancient wisdom, I begin to understand.
STAY. We do not like to stay. We like to go. We like to move. We like to rush from place to place, person to person, distraction to distraction. Jesus said to his first followers, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven,” Luke 24:49 (NLT). Jesus also calls us home to himself, “Stay here until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
QUIETLY. We do not like quiet. We like noise. We like constant chatter. We like drowning out silence with nonstop stimulation. We are invited into quiet by our loving LORD. God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction, Psalm 23:1-3 (MSG). God whispers to us, “Rest beside My quiet pool. Catch your breath and drink. When you quietly listen, I will quietly speak, sending you in the right direction.”
IN YOUR OWN ROOM. We do not like to stay in our own room. We like to invade the rooms of other people, family, friends, and foes. Rearranging. Reorganizing. Redecorating for everyone else. Yet God’s encouragement to us is clear, “But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you,” Matthew 6:6 (AMP). Our Father invites us, “Stay quietly in your most private room. Close the door. Pray with Me in secret. Great rewards are born from our deep intimacy.”
How do we begin to heal our unhappiness? Blaise Pascal and the Message translation of Matthew 6:6 give us the one place to start: “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”
Unhappy? Reeling? Wound tight? Overwhelmed? Lashing out?
STAY QUIETLY IN YOUR OWN ROOM and begin to sense God’s grace,
Sue
