Young Adults' Group

Learning To Be Still

by Pastor Mark
May 13, 2021

Facing a challenging week

How do we respond to a challenging week? We could be reactive, frustrated or even angry at the circumstances that we find ourselves in. The challenge is for us to learn to be still in the Lord amid the challenges of life.

About a week ago, my mom developed a fever of about 38-39 degrees Celsius. At the advice of two doctors, we took Mom to the hospital to do a blood test to determine the cause of the fever. My mom had to be warded to wait for the results. On top of that, the hospital needed to do two COVID-19 virus swab tests for my mom. While waiting for the swab test results, she had to stay in the isolation ward over the weekend, which did not allow any visitors. As a result, we could not be with Mom on Mother’s Day. Nevertheless, we did manage to pass her some flowers and a Mother’s Day card to wish her, which brought some joy to her heart.

When she was given some antibiotics, the fever subsided. The doctors were not able to determine the cause of the fever. My mom was transferred to the general ward on Monday and we were thankful that she was discharged on Wednesday.

The challenge not to react

While I recognise the need for all the vital protocols in the hospital, it was a challenge not to react to the situation at hand. I felt sorry for my mom, who had to spend Mother’s Day in hospital and that we could not celebrate this special day with her.

Another challenging thing that happened was that on Sunday, Mom had a fall while going to the toilet on her own. The nurses quickly attended to her. Mom suffered some bruising, but after an X-ray was done, it was determined that she did not sustain any serious injury. It was a challenge not to become more reactive to the situation. But later, we were told that it was my mom who had been impatient and decided not to wait for the nurses to answer her call.

Learning to be still

Throughout this ordeal, one thing that I kept in my mind was the words of Ps 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God”. I learnt to be still and to focus on the Lord. He is our refuge and strength, a present help in times of trouble (Ps 46:1).

At last Sunday’s Morning Worship, I learnt further from Pastor Charles how meditating on the Lord helps us to prevent natural feelings of anger from escalating to sin. Through meditating deeply on the Lord and His Word within our heart, we can learn to be still and not react (Ps 4:4). I was encouraged to put my trust in the Lord amid life’s challenges (Ps 4:5).

Meditation helps

I am glad that we are learning how to meditate at this time. It helps us to see things more deeply, especially from the Lord’s perspective rather than our perspective. Instead of focusing on why my mom fell, I thank God for His mercies that my mom did not sustain any serious injuries (Ps 4:1). I rejoice in the Lord’s keeping of my mom throughout this ordeal.

Meditation does make a significant difference. It gives us the focus that we need amid difficult circumstances. It prevents us from reacting with anger that could lead to sin. Let us be challenged to learn to be still in our heart and mind as we face the problems of life.

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