Our body has the response to either fight or flight. Both physically and mentally. It's so true. But the hardest part for me, is doing neither. Being still, and being silent.
Example one: When someone is saying mean or criticizing things. I either want to stand up for myself and show people they can't just walk all over me, or I want to literally leave the room / conversation. I don't want to listen to it. But there are times when I have to stand there and take the punches without getting the chance to fight back or walk away. I just have to listen to their rudeness. And do those people feel like they're entitled and that it's ok to be rude when I just say nothing? Probably. But that's for God to deal with them. When I'm at work, I can't fight or flight. I must stand still. Now, there are times when both actions are called for, but I'm saying in general, I have to stand in silence and let them beat me up. Fun times.
Example two: A few years ago there was this guy I liked, and part of me wanted to be around him all the time, talk to him, text him... fight for him. Because I liked him. The other part of me wanted to run from him like he was the plague, because I didn't want to hurt, and I knew that I wasn't supposed to be the pursuer in the relationship. But I worried that in "running the other way," it would squelch any chance of him liking me someday. The hardest thing was to do neither. To be still. To respond according to his actions, but not get my hopes up. To be nice and polite, but to guard my heart. Instead of doing any of that gracefully I looked like a person running back and forth from one side to the other, fighting sometimes, running away the other times, and it was ridiculous.
Example three: General problems in life. Bad days at work, arguments with people, feeling stuck in a season in life, whatever. The "fight" in me wants to make plans to improve things, read books about it, do something to make the bad thing go away. The other part of me wants to ask off for more days of work so I can hibernate in my room and read book and watch Netflix, go on trips to Washington to see my extended family, or max out my time with friends and happiness to balance out the bad. In reality, sometimes God says, "You are where you are for a reason. I am with you through this. You can't 'fix' it, and you can't run away from it. Be still and know that I am God." If you asked someone, "What are you problems?" their list would likely be long, and it would be an immediate response. And "sitting" in them doesn't seem like a good idea. But oh, it's what we must do sometimes. Yes, sometimes we're called to change jobs, change churches, or move. But sometimes we aren't.
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