Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me to “just make time for quiet time,” I’d have enough to fund a year’s worth of honey vanilla lattes with almond milk.
Don’t get me wrong—I love the idea of quiet time. A cozy chair. A warm drink. A pretty Bible with highlighters that all match. Worship music humming softly in the background. Basically, a Pinterest board with Jesus.
Most of the time (all the time), life doesn’t look like that.
My mornings are chaotic. My brain is loud. My phone is buzzing. And sometimes the only “quiet” in my day is the five minutes I spend brushing my teeth before crashing into bed.
So when Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” part of me wants to roll my eyes. Like, Cool, God, but have You seen my schedule? Have You seen the group texts, the deadlines, the laundry pile that looks like it could qualify as a natural disaster?
Stillness feels impossible and maybe that’s the point.
Stillness Isn’t About Silence
For a long time, I thought being still meant I had to sit perfectly quiet, cross-legged on the floor, empty my mind, and wait for God to show up. And when that didn’t work (because hello, my thoughts don’t come with an off switch), I assumed I was doing it wrong.
But the more I walk with Jesus, the more I realize: stillness isn’t about my environment. It’s about my posture. It’s not the absence of noise—it’s the presence of trust. Being still doesn’t mean life isn’t chaotic. It means I’m choosing to anchor myself in God anyway.
The Guilt We Carry
I used to feel guilty when my quiet time didn’t look “spiritual enough.” Like if I wasn’t clocking in 45 minutes of in-depth study, I was failing. But God isn’t keeping a stopwatch on your devotions. He’s not disappointed if all you can manage is a whispered prayer in the car or one Psalm before bed. What He wants is your heart—not your perfect morning routine.
How to Find Quiet When Life Isn’t
I’m still learning this, but here are some ways God has been meeting me in the chaos:
1. Redefine Quiet Time
Quiet time doesn’t have to mean a full-blown Bible study. It can be listening to Scripture on your commute, jotting down a quick prayer on a sticky note, or pausing to thank God in the middle of folding laundry.
2. Look for Micro-Moments
You may not have an hour, but you probably have five minutes. Use it. God can do more with five surrendered minutes than we can do with fifty distracted ones.
3. Invite God Into the Noise
Instead of waiting for everything to calm down, bring Him into the mess. Talk to Him while you’re cooking, walking to class, or scrolling through emails. He’s not scared of your busy.
4. Release the Pressure
You don’t have to prove your devotion with a flawless routine. Some days you’ll nail it. Other days it’ll feel like scraps. Both count. Both matter. Both can be holy.
What I’m Learning
Stillness is less about carving out the perfect environment and more about remembering who God is in the middle of mine.
Psalm 46:10 doesn’t say, “Be still, and have your life perfectly together.” It says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
In other words: Stop striving. Stop performing. Stop trying to hold it all together on your own. Remember who I am. Remember who you are with Me.
If your life feels too loud for quiet time right now, hear me: you’re not failing. You’re not less spiritual. You’re not too far gone.
God knows your schedule. He knows your exhaustion. He knows your longing to feel close to Him again. And He meets you in it—not when everything is finally calm, but right there in the middle of the chaos.
So breathe. Pause. Whisper His name. Say what’s up and ask Him what He wants you to do that day.
Even if your life isn’t quiet, your soul can still be still. And that’s enough.
Hanna Rellar 