I had a friend post this on social media recently and it caught my attention. I felt a need to respond as this is something that I have been working on in my own life.
My friend wrote:
I’ve been pondering a portion of this verse this week:
“…..Quiet me with Your love…..”
Zephaniah 3:17
What does this mean?
What does this look like?
How might God’s love be the agent that brings quiet?
Here was my response:
For me this is trusting in his goodness and stepping aside. I always seem to want to know what is coming, how things will happen and the many details of life and relationships, but this quietness looks like just stepping aside, letting God work and trusting in His goodness. I recently was given this wise advice “Do you think God is up there scratching His head? No, so why do you spend so much time scratching yours and trying to work out all the details and getting caught in the particulars? God doesn’t scratch His head, so why do you?” This has been instrumental recently and the verse you are meditating on speaks directly to that for me. His love abounds and is so good and in my quietness and stillness and relinquishing of control, I can then see that love unfolding as a love story for me before my eyes. If I don’t step aside, I will miss that great love’s blessings. I may reap the outcomes of the love, but miss the joy in seeing God work.
For my entire life I have dealt with the struggle to have control in life. I learned earlier this year about the depth of that struggle and it illuminated for me the strength of this struggle. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, many times we focus on the sin of “eating the apple”, but what does that really mean? Eve was guilty of desiring control and knowledge and answers. She allowed her internal desire to overshadow God’s goodness and the allowed mistrust to enter her heart. There are many times that I have “given it to God” and “Let Go, Let God”, to all too easily fall back into my old patterns. I understand and due to the sinful nature of being human, that this is a struggle that will remain, but I have learned a few fighting words to help me when I resort back to this place. My prayers and fighting words in these times are “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) and as a Sixpence None the Richer song continues, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, He’s got it under control. Just trust in the Lord with all of your heart and he will carry you through.” Another fighting phrase against this struggle “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” from 1 John 4:18. A favorite song of mine that I cling to with this promise is “Rest Easy” by Audio Adrenaline and the chorus says “Rest easy, have no fear. I love you perfectly; love drives out fear. I’ll take your burden, you take My grace. Rest east, in My embrace.” Clinging to this love has brought rest to my weary soul in times of distress. The last words come from Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Stillness is the peace that I need, and God is the One who can provide this if I am willing to step aside and trust in Him.
If we allow it to be, life can be full of worry and a desire to control so that we can “survive” and “cope”, but the best coping that I have found in all my time even with being a therapist is to offer up my own understanding and to be still and quiet my angst in his loving embrace and promise of goodness in my life.
Amanda is an experienced Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for building deep connections and walking with people through difficult experiences. She is a wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls. Having lived in several different Southern and Midwest states, family, friends, coffee and the outdoors are some of her favorite things.
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