Deep personal relationship
with God develops through Stillness, Face-Time spent in His presence while
doing nothing that is particularly useful or fruitful to the natural mind. This
is not contemplative prayer, mantra chanting, controlled breathing, body
contortions, silent concentration or any of the world’s counterfeits to
spirituality. It is recognizing the ever-present God is, well… ever-present,
and setting aside time to purposefully engage Him. Stillness begins with the
willful clearing of our mind of the whine and din of life, submerging our soul
into God through worship and scripture meditation, and then settling our
thoughts as we relax into His presence. These are Extravagant Acts of Abandonment1
-- worship that is motivated by unfettered love for God -- desiring only to
know Him and be known of Him -- that will appear as a waste of time to the
world. Journaling helps to capture His thoughts while keeping our thinking at a
minimum, and allows meditation later.
Recognize that man punctuates his speaking with silence, while God
punctuates His silence with speaking: Don’t expect a lengthy monologue, but
rather short thoughts that expand as you meditate on them. And do ask
questions. The undisciplined mind will wander, so… stop and drag it back. It’s
OK, Stillness is a spiritual discipline, developed through repetitive use. We
must acknowledge and commit to this “waste of time”, with no “to do” lists or
agendas, if we truly want to deepen and broaden our relationship with God.
Stillness is a habit of choice. (1: Jim Goll, modified)
EXTRAVAGANT
ACTS OF ABANDONMENT
