Skip to main content
Collecting Moments Weekly

Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There

By June 26, 2018 No Comments

Admittedly, I’m a doer.

My first tendency, typically, is to bust out of the gate with enthusiasm and smiles.

I’m the first to initiate.
The first to book.
The first to rally.
The first to assemble.
The first to plan.
And the first to volunteer.

Typically, my life M.O. has been, don’t just sit there, do something.

So you can imagine my surprise when God starting nudging my heart with, don’t just do something, sit there.

I was like, “Pardon? Say what? Come again? Je ne comprends pas.” It’s as if God was speaking French.

But I get it now.
I see the value.
I’ve learned the lesson.

Quiet is important.
Rest is necessary.
Stillness is beautiful.

Don’t just do, sit.

Listen.
See.
Breath.
Notice.
Be.
Capture.
Learn.
Appreciate.
Grow.

I get it.
Do you get it?

In a culture that pressures us to participate in the rat race, fly at rapid speed and strive to attain superhero ability, it’s important to note that we’re not even wired for it. What we are capable of is handling a number of tasks in rapid succession. What we aren’t capable of is mixing automatic tasks with non-automatic ability. I.e. Texting while driving.

So if law enforcement can recognize distracted driving as a danger to the overall wellness of our society, how do we not see and recognize the dangers of distracted living?

Trying to be superhuman and stay sane are not possible … the rat race is burning us out … the hamster wheel is leading us nowhere … and Wonder Woman expectations are slowly killing our souls.

Don’t just do something, sit there, is such a valuable thing to learn.

If we’re willing to open our hearts to the concept of slowing down, and living in the present, and practicing mindfulness, and being still, and seeing each moment as enough, life could and can be so much more enjoyable.

But don’t take my word for it. Take Solomon’s.

When you consider who Solomon was and the glamorous life he lived, it puts everything we feel pressured to pursue into proper perspective. Solomon had it all — wealth, intellect and power. If ever there were a Biblical poster boy for “The Good Life,” Solomon was it! But to hear even him describe this kind of life as “meaningless” sheds a lot of light and wisdom for our own lives and on our culture today.

“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.” —Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (MSG)

So friend, perhaps today, instead of striving and rushing and pushing and prodding to try and make something happen, try sitting. Don’t do, sit. Sit there. Sit instead. Sit some more. And allow God to speak, to lead, to comfort and to heal you from a need to do or be anything or anyone else but you.

Don’t just do something, sit there.

Free 7-Day ebook

Making Space

Carving Out Time For God In The Midst Of Your Busy Life

With a million things to do and not enough hours in the day to get it done, it's easy to zone out and slip into autopilot in order to survive. But perhaps life is not about adding more things to your already lengthy list, but rather, about pausing in the midst of it all to consider if what you're doing is really important.