Lament for Ordinary Life
Lament is a practice for ordinary Christians that should be implemented into a regular rhythm of spiritual disciplines.
After Times of Transition
Lament is important during times of grief and loss, and even during good moments like starting a new job, having a new baby, or getting married. It might be odd to consider lamenting during moments of celebration, and I’m not suggesting stopping your party to cry! However, before the big moment, take some time to lament the changes that are required. If you’re getting married, lament and give voice to the single life that is ending. If you’re celebrating a new job after months of searching, give voice to the hard moments. Find the stillness in the in-between and encounter God within the transition.
The Struggle for Stillness
I’ve always cherished the space and time to simply exist without the pressure to “do.” But lately, I’ve noticed a growing struggle to find those precious pockets of stillness.
Even when my schedule is clear, work is done, homework is completed, and the baby is asleep, I find my body at rest but my soul restless. As I was working through this, trying to coerce my soul into being still, I wondered what lies behind this restlessness. Even when I attempted to carve out time for stillness, my flesh seemed to crave movement and activity.
I forced myself to turn off my phone, close my eyes, and just sit, starting to sense an undercurrent of emotions. I couldn’t detect if it was fear or uncertainty, but I started sorting through questions that came to mind: Am I making the wrong choices? By staying busy, am I avoiding confronting my fears about my business? Or my parenting and marriage?
I sense the enemy pursuing me, pushing doubt into my heart…
Is my constant motion an attempt to outrun him?
Finding God in Stillness
But even as I tried to be still, I pulled out my phone to capture those thoughts. I didn’t want to ‘miss’ what God was doing by not writing it down. Yet I was aware that even that mere act, fueled by the fear of missing God, brought me out of stillness and back into the comfort of busyness.
The choice to pull out my phone in my fear of not wanting to miss God could actually take me out of a meeting space with Him and be the very reason I miss Him! What irony.
Yet as I was holding my phone, typing those thoughts, I sensed the Lord saying, “Be still and know that I am God.” I closed my eyes again for a moment and allowed the scripture to wash over me, remembering when I first encountered God through that verse. I wrestled with the urge to resume typing, to document the revelation and the experience quickly.
Embracing Stillness and Solitude
I wrote: “I don’t want to cheapen the gifts God offers through stillness and silence. These moments are humbling gifts. But why do I busy myself when I sense His presence? Why do I derive more satisfaction from writing about Him than from being still with Him?”
As a blogger that is an exposing question! Yet, from this attempt, I feel entered into a brief conversation with the Living Word.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
I sensed Psalm 46:10 in my heart. I thought: it’s in the stillness where I come to know Him. He creates those moments and invites me in. Like everything else, it’s only by His grace.
“Be still and know…” I decide to commit to carrying this as a personal invitation, an anchor to enter stillness and lean on Him. As I typed these words, they felt inadequate to convey what I sensed God doing and saying, but I wondered if it was because I was rushing again and not at rest. But again, I declare that I’m choosing to trust in His sovereignty and grace.
“Be still. Humble yourself under God’s mighty hand. Know I am God. I will fight for you.”
Leaving the brief conversation with God, I felt assured that I could trust that God would invite me into spaces. He will give me the release to press into the spaces, He will help me fight the battle of busyness and restlessness.
The Rest of Lament
“The interruptions that encroach upon our attention span hinder us from recognizing internal warning signs and emotional cues, which can prevent missteps in our personal and professional lives.”
Lamentation helped me to find stillness. By being brutally honest with the Lord, and purging myself of unsaid thoughts, I was able to sit without the weight of distracting thoughts or fears. This is instructive for me as I move forward. I want to frequently check my emotional dashboard lights, I want to violently throw my cares on God knowing He cares and can handle the weight of it, and I want to sit cleansed and burden-free under the shadow of His wing in stillness and solitude.
Scriptures for Reflection
- “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV
- “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 NIV
- “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalms 37:7 NIV
If you want to learn more or practice lament as a spiritual discipline, download our Everyday Guide to Lament for free using code LAMENTGUIDE2024. Click the link here to download.
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