“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything” (Ps. 46:10, The Message).

Today we live in a world that is so complex. The hustle and bustle of our society tends to drown out the inner voice inside us that is trying so hard to be heard. We all long to be free — not just free of our worries and cares, but to be totally free, the way God intended us to be. So how do we get there? How do we navigate our way through this maze called life? In Psalms 46, God calls us to be still. For some of us that is hard. In our society, we have been conditioned to be busy with our work, as well as our free time. We are so busy on what we call vacations that we come back more tired than when we left. We return to work tired and more drained instead of refreshed and relaxed. How do we fix this habit of busyness?

God calls us to be still and know that He is God. This may seem like a strange phrase, but it is very profound. David knew all too well the busyness of life. As he wrote Psalms 46, he was busy fleeing for his life. Saul was chasing after him and David spent most of this time in hiding. He begins this Psalm by acknowledging that God is our hiding place and refuge, the place where we can find rest and peace. We try to find peace in a lot of things: our jobs, bank accounts, church, etc.; but God is our true source of peace. We must seek time to be silent and be alone with Him to know truly who He is. Then and only then will we find true peace.

I like the way The Message uses the phrase “Step out of traffic.” Doesn’t it seem like we are in this never-ending rush hour as we make our way through life. We feel as if we must keep up with the flow around us, and at times the pace is more that we can take. We look back at our lives and the pace we have been traveling only to realize we have missed some of the most beautiful sights along the journey. God wants us to step out traffic and rest in Him for awhile. So what does that look like?

In Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas looks at several paths people journey on as they connect with God. Most of the pathways align with our unique personality. God has wired us a certain way, thus we each connect with Him in a unique way. As we connect with God, we undergo a moral reformation of character brought about by the power of the truth. It is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing our lives more and more under the influences of the new principles placed in the soul at salvation. In other words, the way we connect to God facilitates the process of perfecting the work begun at salvation, and it extends to the whole man. It is the special function of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work.

Faith is instrumental in how we connect with God. It secures union to Christ and brings the believer into living contact with the truth, where he or she is led to yield to obedience and to embrace the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. After reading this book, I realize the “Contemplative Path” is really the building block for the other paths that were discussed. For us to be able to connect with God, we must think and contemplate about this God with whom we are trying to connect. This idea of contemplation is the basic DNA or on which the other paths are built. It is not necessarily the best path, but it is foundational.

I feel we really have not put enough emphasis on the contemplative process. We plan our services, Bible studies and small groups around curriculua that focuses on facts and intellectual knowledge, but leaves very little room for people to sit in silence and contemplate who God is. We have a created an entire culture that worships a God that very few have taken the time to get to know.

One thing I am trying to do in our student ministry is  intentionally create time for our students to connect with God and hear from Him on a new level. Each quarter, we have a contemplative prayer service. Students go from station to station as music plays. They participate during the service by interacting with what is written on the signs at each station. These services have been very meaningful for our students. Many for the first time felt as if they connected with God. I believe we need to create environments similar to this because we can be about the busy work of ministry and forget to help people — even ourselves — connect with the God we serve. Take some time this week to be alone with God. Connect with the God of the universe, be still, and fall in love with the One who created you.