At first glance, this chapter is a “how-to” chapter. And, oh, how I love a good “how-to” book! If you like “how-to books” too, in chapter 23 of The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood I have some directions and suggestions for your daughter to do to help mold and define her Quiet Time.
But, dear mom, this chapter is about so much more than the activities of quiet time and I am taking this opportunity to challenge you, redirect your thinking so that you can teach your daughter. Almost all of us have heard the term Quiet Time. This time refers to a daily occasion when we draw away from the hectic and frantic pace of our lives to steal some moments with Jesus. This communion with Christ can be done in so many ways such as Bible reading, worship, prayer, in-depth study of the Word and its deeper meanings, and even meditation. These are all perfectly in line with what we often refer to as Quiet Time. Today, I would like to take a slightly different approach to Quiet Time
The Captivity of Activity
When exactly did the quiet leave my Quiet Time? One snare I have fallen into, (and perhaps you have to) is frantically finding something to “do” while I was partaking in these hallowed moments of quiet. Standard Quiet Time tends to be filled with activity… but let us beware, lest even this good activity becomes our captivity. Over my years of Quiet Time, I tend to err on the side of doing, rather than being.
For example, these are some notes to myself:
*ACTS for prayer time
*keep a list of who I prayed for and the answers
* read daily from Bible for 30 minutes
*journal what I read*memorize
*meditate…
Whew! And the list of activities for me to “do” can go on and on. Bible teacher Beth Moore aptly coined the catchy phrase of “The captivity of activity” in series called Breaking Free.
Isaiah 28:12-13 describes this phenomenon.
12 to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary, and this is repose”; yet they would not hear. 13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there– so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.”
God’s Word legalistically digested can become to the busy, type A, list-oriented moms (and daughters) a litany of do and do, do and do, rule on rule, try a little more here, a little more there. There is so much activity in the hoped-for quietness that we fall backward and become injured.
Quieting Time
Why it is so easy to ignore God’s wooing call and gift of rest to the weary? Why do we run away, like an overtired child, from the invitation to lie down and rest in Him? Instead of giving you a list of things to make sure you are doing in your quiet time, I would like to challenge you today to carve out and create a daily Quieting Time. In our busy homeschooling household, naptime was replaced with a Quieting Time for an hour every afternoon. In this holy, hushful hour, each of my children would go to their room and quietly read, nap, or entertain themselves. This provided an opportunity for my children to learn how to be alone and a time of quiet reflection. I took these tranquil 60 minutes as a time to quiet myself, rest, pray, and read.
Quieted by His Love,
Activity:
Ah, the irony…
- Carve out a Quieting Time for yourself. Let your body rest a bit, quiet your thoughts, and relish the repose that is offered in Christ.
- Provide opportunities for your daughters (and sons as well) to enjoy a Quieting Time. An appointed time to experience quiet aloneness with the Lord.
Memory Verse: Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)
17The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
Post and Ponder:
- Take some time to think about what Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote in Gift from the Sea. “The problem is not entirely in finding the room of one’s own, the time alone, difficult and necessary as that is. The problem is more how to still the soul during its activity.” What are some ways you quiet your soul during your busy day?
- Read Psalm 23:1-3. Circle the words, MAKES, LEADS, REFRESHES, and in your Quieting Time, reflect on these words and report back to us how they relate to you and this hushing of your soul.
Resources:
Here is one resource I love! If you are looking for a fresh, new way to study God’s Word, come visit my new site – Selah. Frequently, it is easy to forget to pause and purposefully reflect upon the good things He has done for us. We know it is important to study God’s Word, but often time feels frustrated with past methods that are too complex or take too much time. Check out our studies at SelahBibleStudies.com