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Do you know what remote feature gets little credit? The pause button. Back before DVR and Live Streaming or anything fancy, you had to time everything perfectly during commercial breaks. I’m talking drink refills, snack gathering, bathroom breaks, etc., where when the commercial starts you know you have around 2 minutes to get everything done. It helped to have a spotter who would yell, “IT’S BACK ON!!!”, just so you could run and Tom Cruise “Risky Business” slide back to your spot on the floor. The pause button dramatically assists with little recognition. We now can pause and get refreshments, pause and answer the phone, pause and yell at the “kids”, pause and go eat dinner, catch a movie, change the oil in the car and still come back never missing a thing…just hit pause and continue. What if we did this in our everyday life? What if we pressed the pause button, so to speak, and took the time to think before we reacted. Imagine being about to pause before you say or do something you may regret? How awesome would it be to hit a hypothetical pause button to allow us time to stay calm, relax, talk with God, figure out what is the best move? What if we…practiced the pause? In Psalm 46:10 we read: “Be still, and know that I am God”. Be still. Stop moving. Stop overthinking. Stop doing it your way. Pause, if you would. “And know”… don’t question. Don’t second guess. Don’t put your personal thoughts or ideas into this equation. Follow God and His way. We get in the way of our churches, our jobs, our families, ourselves. We are often our own worst enemy. Why? We don’t pause. We have ceased to “Be still and know…”. God has this, no matter what ‘this’ may be for you. There is a quote that has been floating around the past two or three years, which has an unknown creator and yet is used by NUMEROUS people: “When in doubt, pause. When angry, pause. When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause, pray.” Practicing the pause could truly save your life. Practicing the pause can assist in your relationship. Practicing the pause allows you time to rely on God’s power and timing. Pausing helps you take that deep breath, close your eyes, and give yourself a chance to calm. If we practice the pause we take a break from what we’re doing to recollect our thoughts and plans. And, when you pause, pray. Jesus assures us that when we do, He will give us rest (Matt. 11:28-30). What an amazing feeling of peace and comfort! #bethegood.

 

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com