Gospel Gab: Be still and know

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Genevieve Guenther

Ava Hicks, Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: Ava Hicks is a junior at UNCW studying Communications with a minor in Journalism. Ava also serves as a staff writer for The Seahawk and a regular columnist for Gospel Gab. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. All suggestions and inquiries may be sent via email to [email protected].

Busyness is a trait that is commonly valued in Western culture. An individual who has many responsibilities and networks is often viewed as successful and important.

A busy schedule can also provide comfort for some people. I occasionally find myself planning things to stay occupied so that I have little time to sit around and think. This is a flawed philosophy that is basically founded on the notion that ignorance is bliss. Although this may seem true at times, it is not at all what we are called to do.

A common misconception of the Christian faith is that we must engage in good, charitable works in order to earn our salvation. It is easy to think that God loves the courageous missionaries and the devoted priests more than he loves the average Christian working in a secular field.

However, God does not pick favorites. He does not value any one person over another. Living a life full of good deeds will not win you your salvation. I’m not saying you shouldn’t serve and love others throughout your life. By doing so, you help spread the word of God and reflect His love on to other people. However, do not think that it is necessary for your redemption.

Jesus does not desire for us to use our actions to try to win His love and approval. In fact, He makes it very clear that we should focus more on spending time with Him in prayer and in His word.

This is most evident in the parable of Mary and Martha found in Luke 10. Mary and Martha are two sisters who are hosting Jesus at their house. Mary sits at the Lord’s feet and listens to His teachings while Martha is distracted by her serving duties as a hostess. When Martha asks the Lord to instruct Mary to help her with the serving, Jesus replies, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In this passage, Jesus is telling Martha that it is better to spend time with the Lord than to worry about earthly things. Even though constantly serving may make us feel more worthy and godly, it is not the pathway to salvation.

This concept seems so foreign because it is the opposite of what most of us have always been taught. When many people think of Christianity, they imagine a group of people having to be good and do good all of the time. It seems exhausting. The comforting truth is that all we really have to do is believe that Jesus died for our sins, accept Him into our lives, and spend time with Him. It’s that simple.

One of my favorite well-known verses is Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.”

I find this verse so powerful because it is literally claiming that in order to praise and serve the Lord, we must simply be still and love Him. Spend ample time with Him and you will grow in your faith far quicker than anyone who is overly concerned with the quality of their actions.