“Give yourself the grace to do nothing and experience God do something!”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 23, 2025
Be still. Psalm 46
Can you grant yourself permission to do nothing? To waste time- not in the sense of irresponsibility, but with the mindset that you do not have to be productive; instead, you can give yourself the grace to do nothing and discover where the Holy Spirit may be working on something! Have you ever noticed how we’ve become allergic to stillness? We fill every moment—scrolling while waiting in line, listening to podcasts while driving, multitasking through meals. But what if your constant productivity is actually blocking something beautiful?
Dallas Willard, mentor to John Ortberg, and Richard Foster who deeply influences John Mark Comer, give us freeing words,
We must understand that He [God] is in charge of the outcome of our efforts, and that the outcome will be good, right. And all of this is encompassed in one biblical term, “Sabbath.” This will be pretty scary for most of us. But we must not try to get God to “do something” to fill up our time. That will only throw us back into work. The command is: “Do no work.” Just make space. Attend to what is around you. Learn that you don’t have to do to be. Accept the grace of doing nothing. Stay with it until you stop jerking and squirming.
Try this: Set aside thirty minutes to intentionally do nothing. Not meditation with a goal. Not reading with a purpose. Just being. Sit on your porch and watch clouds drift. Let your mind wander without correcting its path. A friend tried this weekly and said, “I felt guilty the first few times—like I should be folding laundry or answering emails. But gradually, I began to hear thoughts that weren’t my usual anxious chatter.” Sometimes, the Holy Spirit speaks most clearly when we’re not drowning Him out with our busyness. Your productivity doesn’t determine your worth. Perhaps the most spiritual act today might be granting yourself permission to simply exist.
Why is it so hard to just be still? For one, we’re swimming in a culture that practically worships productivity—where “busy” is a badge of honor and “I’m swamped” is our standard greeting. Then there’s that nagging inner voice suggesting you’re being lazy while home projects grow and the calendar begs for more. Try these creative workarounds: Instead of “doing nothing,” rename it “receptivity practice” or “soul listening” in your calendar—because language matters. Start tiny—even three minutes of intentional stillness counts. Create a physical “stillness spot” in your home with no devices allowed—maybe a specific chair or corner that signals to your brain, “We pause here.” One woman I know keeps a “To-Don’t List” where she writes things she’s intentionally not doing today. Another sets a “stillness alarm” that reminds him to stop mid-afternoon for five minutes of window-gazing. Remember Moses encountering God in ordinary silence before a bush or Elijah hearing the “still, small voice” after the noise. Sometimes, the most spiritual act is simply showing up with empty hands, saying, “I’m here, Lord—not doing, just being with You.” Give yourself the grace to do nothing and experience God do something!
Prayer
Lord, help me give myself grace to simply be still with You. Free me from guilt and busyness. Let me rest in Your presence, knowing You are enough. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Where can you carve out a stillness spot and set an alarm to go there to be still and do nothing but be loved by your heavenly Father?
Related Reading
Exodus 14:14; Isaiah 30:15; Zephaniah 3:17; Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 10:41-42
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: Be Still
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