Quietness for My Anxious Heart
Finding stillness when my mind refuses to be still
"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
Have you ever sat perfectly still, but felt like your mind was racing nonstop?
You're sitting down.
Nothing is happening around you.
The room may even be quiet.
But inside?
You're having conversations that haven't happened.
Solving problems that haven't occurred.
Revisiting something someone said three days ago.
Planning tomorrow.
Replanning tomorrow.
Wondering if you forgot something while planning tomorrow.
Your body might be at rest, but your mind hasn't slowed down at all.
I've been thinking a lot about stillness lately.
Partly because I've had to practice it.
If you know me, you know that being still doesn't come naturally to me.
I like doing.
I like creating.
I like figuring things out.
My mind is almost always working on something.
Still, God shows us that doing more isn't always the answer.
Sometimes what our hearts need most is quiet.
Not necessarily silence around us.
But a calm inside us that reminds us:
I don't have to figure everything out right now.
When Your Mind Won't Turn Off
When we feel anxious, we often crave certainty.
We want to know:
What is going to happen?
How is this going to work?
What if something goes wrong?
What if I make the wrong decision?
What if the thing I'm afraid of actually happens?
Since we don't have the answers, our minds start filling in the gaps.
We replay.
We rehearse.
We anticipate.
We analyze.
Sometimes we call it planning.
Sometimes it actually is planning.
Sometimes, we move from simply preparing to trying to control things just by thinking about them.
That's exhausting.
Psalm 46:10 gives us an invitation that can feel almost too simple:
Be still.
But biblical stillness isn't pretending nothing is wrong.
Psalm 46 describes chaos: the earth giving way, mountains falling, waters roaring, and nations in turmoil.
And right there, in the middle of all that movement, comes the instruction:
"Be still, and know that I am God."
So, being still doesn't mean everything around us has to be calm first.
Quietness Is More Than Silence
You might find yourself in a quiet room and still feel anxious.
You can also be in a noisy place and still feel at peace.
This is because the quiet we mean is not just about having no sound.
It's about being able to stop struggling inside.
It means not insisting on having an answer right now.
It means letting go of running through every possible outcome in your mind.
It means not believing that thinking about something over and over will give us control.
Of course, we need to think through some things.
We have decisions to make.
Some problems do need us to act.
But there comes a time when more thinking doesn't help.
Sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is say:
"I've done what I can do today. The rest belongs to God."
That is one way to find stillness.
Stillness Can Feel Uncomfortable
There's something we don't always talk about.
Sometimes, keeping busy stops us from noticing how we really feel.
When we're always moving, working, helping, planning, cleaning, scrolling, talking, or caring for someone else, we don't have to face what's going on inside us.
But then, everything gets quiet.
And suddenly, it's there.
The worry.
The grief.
The disappointment.
The fear.
The question we've been avoiding.
That's why being still can feel uncomfortable at first, instead of peaceful.
But feeling uncomfortable doesn't mean we're doing something wrong.
Sometimes, quiet finally gives our hearts the space to show us what they've been carrying.
And that's when we can bring those things to God.
God Is Present in the Quiet
One of the clearest examples of God's presence for me is found in Elijah's story in 1 Kings 19.
There was a powerful wind.
Then an earthquake.
Then fire.
But the Bible says the Lord was not in any of those things.
Afterward came a gentle whisper.
That has always seemed beautiful to me.
We often expect to find God in dramatic moments.
We hope for a clear answer.
We look for a big sign.
We long for a miracle.
But sometimes God meets us in quiet moments.
It may not be the answer we have been asking for.
Sometimes, He simply reminds us:
I'm here.
Maybe that is what a worried heart needs most.
Not an explanation.
Just His Presence.
Everyday Obstacles
Overthinking
We go over the same problem again and again, hoping that thinking about it one more time will finally bring us peace.
But usually, it just leads to more thinking.
Constant Stimulation
Phones, TV, social media, notifications, podcasts, messages, and news are always there to fill any quiet moment.
These days, we often have to make a real effort to choose quiet.
Needing Immediate Answers
Waiting often makes us feel even more anxious.
We want God to give us answers right away.
We want things fixed immediately.
We want to see the solution right now.
But sometimes, understanding takes time to grow.
Confusing Stillness With Doing Nothing
Being still does not mean we are being irresponsible.
We can do what needs to be done without living in a constant urgency.
Faith-Based Solutions
Create Small Spaces for Quiet
You don't have to spend an hour every morning on a spiritual retreat.
Begin with just five minutes of quiet. Set your phone aside, sit still, breathe, pray, and let your mind calm down. Simple habits like these can help you find inner stillness and trust God's presence when you feel anxious.
Put the phone down.
Sit quietly.
Breathe.
Pray.
Let your mind settle.
Even small spaces can become sacred.
Name What's Making You Anxious
Rather than holding onto a general feeling of unease, try asking yourself:
What am I actually worried about?
Name it before God.
Anxiety can feel overwhelming when everything gets mixed.
Naming what worries us helps us bring something specific to God.
Separate Today's Responsibility From Tomorrow's Possibility
Ask:
Is there something I need to do about this today?
If yes, do what you reasonably can.
If not, allow yourself to leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:34:
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."
There is enough grace for today.
Replace Rehearsing With Returning
When anxious thoughts come back, and they probably will, turn to God again.
You might need to do this more than once.
Maybe you'll need to do it many times.
That doesn't mean you've failed.
It's all part of practicing.
"God, I'm thinking about this again. I'm giving it back to You again."
Sometimes we find peace by surrendering our worries to God again and again.
Becoming in Action
The Five-Minute Quiet
Set aside five minutes each day for the next week to be intentionally quiet.
No phone.
No television.
No multitasking.
Here's the hard part:
You don't need to get anything done during those five minutes.
I know, it feels strange.
Begin with Psalm 46:10:
"Be still, and know that I am God."
After that, ask yourself:
What is my heart carrying today?
Whatever comes up, bring it to God.
You can pray.
You can journal.
You can simply sit.
At the end of your five minutes, say:
"God, help me carry what belongs to today and release what belongs to You."
That's all you need to do.
Reflect & Journal
When everything is quiet, what usually fills my mind?
Am I getting ready for something, or am I just worrying over things I can't control?
Are there any feelings that staying busy helps me avoid?
Are there places in my life where I want answers while I wait?
If I made space for quiet right now, what would that look like in my life?
You Don't Have to Solve Everything Today
Maybe your mind has felt busy lately.
Maybe you have some decisions weighing on you.
Maybe you're worried about your family.
Maybe you're thinking about your health.
Maybe you're thinking about money or finances.
Maybe you have questions about your relationships.
Maybe you feel unsure about what comes next.
Or maybe you can't even point to one specific problem.
You just know that your heart feels unsettled.
You don't have to figure everything out tonight.
You don't need to know what tomorrow will bring.
You don't have to be ready for every possible outcome.
You don't have to think your way into feeling certain.
Sometimes, you can just sit with God and say:
"I don't know what happens next, but I know You're here."
Maybe that's where peace begins.
Not when every question is answered.
Not when every problem is gone.
But when your heart finally understands:
I am not carrying this alone.
Continue the Conversation
Last week, we talked about finding a safe place during hard times.
This week, we're learning how to find quiet within that safe place.
Next week, we'll talk about something that often lies beneath our anxiety:
When fear is present
Not if fear shows up.
But when it does.
The goal isn't to become someone who never feels afraid.
Sometimes, the real growth is learning that fear can be there without taking control.
Until then, permit yourself to be still.
God isn't asking you to have all the answers for tomorrow today.
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