With its hopes and promises, the new year stretches out before us. This sparkling collection of a fresh 365 days offers us an acceptable and celebrated place for our ambition. A chance to fulfill all the misplaced and forgotten goals from last year. A veritable do-over.
And maybe that is precisely what we need. To crank up our gumption. To make new goals. To jump back on the wagon we fell off—a fresh start, as they say.
Or maybe not… yet.
Maybe, before we mobilize, we need the perfectly acceptable opposite. Stillness.
God instructs us to, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) I’m curious how often our burnout, misery, and feelings of inadequacy are a byproduct of crushing an agenda never intended for us. How many lost hours and resources do we sabotage to the god of misplaced glory running on an admiration treadmill? How often do we run the race but forget God sets the pace?
In seeking Jesus, we strive to follow his example. He modeled how we should live. So, while we’re formulating our resolutions or goals, looking to Jesus’ example is a reasonable place to start.
One of Jesus’ most remarkable attributes was his propensity to be still. He did so before embarking on his ministry and before willingly giving his life for humanity. Despite countless demands for his time, he lived an unrushed life. “He would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:16). He allowed interruptions.
Following Jesus’ example, it would appear that to do anything of difficulty or worth, we must first be still. This could look like setting aside some time to sit in stillness as 2025 comes into focus, determining to start each new day with a few quiet moments of reading and reflection, or ending them with prayer and thankfulness. Stillness goes against the current atmosphere of compiling our goals, planning our path, and executing. Stillness requires, well… stillness. Stillness is counterintuitive. It requires silencing the noise to listen.
James offers a posture we can assume. He says, “Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way to get on your feet” (James 4:10 MSG). James saw the benefit of stillness as a precursor to mobility, as did David who said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). We would do well to follow James and David’s example and dwell in God’s presence to behold the beauty of the Lord and experience his transformative power to change and lead our lives.
Like Jesus, James, and David, we understand the need to set aside our time, agenda, preferences, and even our precious New Year’s goals to dwell. To be still, listen, and be remade in God’s presence. More clarity and meaning would arise from the discipline of stillness: more purpose and even productivity. In fact, by starting with stillness, we can ensure that our goals are more closely aligned with God’s will, and that we have the strength and wisdom to pursue them.
What if the only goal we make this year is to still ourselves in God’s presence and let the rest follow?
Blessings to you and your family for a 2025 filled with hope, peace, and love.
Looking for a devotional to start off 2025 strong? Soul Focus is a collection of 31 daily readings to focus our mind and spirit on God.
