“Beep! Beep! Beep!” Smack. “Beep! Beep! Beep!” Smack.
It’s a scene that has played out many times in the morning. The alarm on my phone goes off and I smack it. Now, my intent is to merely activate the snooze button, but, to be honest, breaking the phone wouldn’t be so bad, either. Because no phone = no alarm and no alarm = not having to get up and face what’s ahead of me. If only it really worked that way, right? If just by hitting a button (or breaking that phone), we could avoid the things ahead of us. If by simply sleeping in and hiding, those things would magically disappear. If only the safety and warmth of our cozy beds could allow us to permanently avoid the things we don’t want to deal with.
Avoidance. It’s a solution that sounds good at the time, right? But, most of the time, it creates even bigger problems. We avoid having a tough conversation with someone close to us and the issue between us gets bigger. We avoid the work we have to do and, eventually, we find ourselves buried in projects with no end in sight. We avoid making a decision and it gets made for us. We avoid turning to God, admitting what is our hearts and trusting that He will see us through it only to be left feeling empty, helpless and alone.
In Psalm 46:10, we read “Be still, and know I am God.”
Be still. What if, in those moments we want to avoid things, we took a moment to just be still? To allow ourselves to turn off the “what ifs” that run through our heads and, in that moment, be with God and PAUSE.
P – Practice Patience – instead of avoiding whatever is going on, allow yourself time to work through it.
A – Adjust our attitudes – A shift in perspective can makes a huge difference in how we approach a situation.
U – Understand – Take time to look at the task/issue from all angles. So often, we make things tougher than they really are because we are only approaching it from one side..
S – Step away for a moment – Give yourself a moment to rest and regroup. A physical step back often provides the mental clarity and emotional stability needed to deal with something.
E – Explain – Pray. Go to God with what it is you are avoiding. Explain what is on your heart. Be open and honest. And, then, invite Him into the situation and trust where He leads you.
Today, instead of avoiding that difficult thing or situation, take a moment to be still, PAUSE and allow God to guide you.