Have you ever been told that Christians shouldn’t worry but should “be still?” They should leave everything in God’s hands and just love God and others. The modern world seems to be declining into sin really fast and society is full of things for us to worry about. It sure sounds great to not worry, but what does that mean? How can I not worry about everything and anything in today’s world? Oddly enough, I found an answer in The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.
The Screwtape Letters
C. S. Lewis is best known for writing The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of books about children who go into an imaginary world and have adventures there. Wikipedia says he has written more than thirty books, some fiction and some “non-fiction Christian apologetics.” I’ve heard my family mention the explanations in his non-fiction so when I saw The Screwtape Letters, I decided to read that. This book is between fiction and theological since it is a series of fictional letters between a high ranking devil and his young nephew. It gives the young devil advice on how to keep non-Christians from becoming Christian and how to distract Christians from becoming saved.
Exodus and Psalms
My Bible study this morning brought Exodus 14:14 to my attention. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” Moses told that to all the newly freed slaves watching their old masters come in an army to the front of them while the Red Sea was behind them. They had no weapons and no training, yet chariots were coming charging at them. Can you imagine the fear and hopelessness they must have felt? God saved them by blocking the army and opening the deep sea for his chosen people to walk through. The people did nothing to save themselves, except obey God and walk all night. Psalm 46: 10a is another famous “be still” verse. “Be still, and know that I am God.”
C. S. Lewis’ explanation
With Exodus 14:14 in mind, I read chapter six of Lewis’ book. This chapter is about rumors of war and that the person the nephew was assigned to might be drafted. The uncle told the young devil to distract the new Christian with worries about what the future might hold. By filling his mind with maybes, he wasn’t thinking about his faith and God. It would start a never ending cycle of fear about stuff the guy had no control over. That worry and anxiety would spiral until it consumed the guy. An interesting thought Lewis said was that the fear would cloud the mind so much, that the guy wouldn’t realize he was afraid. If he realized he was afraid, he might remember Bible verses to refocus on himself and God rather than worrying about the world.
How do we apply “Be Still” today?
Screwtape, the uncle in Lewis’ book, emphasizes that the nephew needs to keep the man distracted outside his head instead of focusing on himself. Faith is a personal thing. I may seem like an active Christian, but my thoughts may not actually be faithful. 2 Corinthians 10:5 talks about taking captive every thought. The chapter around it refers to how our thoughts and actions may not be the same. By controlling our thoughts, we stop doubt and fear before the spiral of fear and worry start. Focusing on the present and our surroundings will allow us to see how much God loves us and how he wants to use us to show his love to others.
Maybe we will be the turning point to bring the world back to him. Maybe our voice will get lost in the masses but our influence on a neighbor may bring them to Heaven. God has the universe in his plan. He will use us to make things better, but we probably won’t know how until we ask him after Judgement Day. So be still in your trust of God, not fidgeting in worry or anxiety, and let God work, fighting battles we’ll never understand. After all, Matthew 6:27 says: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
So rest in your faith, trust God’s plan, and don’t worry about tomorrow. I know, easier said than done, but God never said faith was easy. The peace that comes from trusting God and resting in his love is worth it.
If you’re interested in buying products with the image I used for Psalm 46:10, here is my link to the collection on my store on Zazzle. I’ve got other Bible verse images if you’re interested, but the link goes directly to the products showing that Bible verse in my store.