Imagine what life might have been like 200 years ago, well before the industrial revolution or the tech revolution. There was no drone of the air conditioner, roar of jets passing overhead, scream of cars, chatter of the television or radio, or electronic jingle of Blackberry’s or iPhone alerting us to a text, voicemail, or email. All these noises and prompts add to our daily stress and it is difficult to filter them out or set boundaries to protect our hearts (yes, our hearts).

Several years ago, my wife Pam and I were talking with one of our kids and discovered that, even when they were working a six-hour shift, they got no break. The only employees able to take a “breather” were those needing a smoke break. Though we might pride ourselves in being able to work longer or harder than the next person, we all need breaks.

Today, where are those quiet places where you can experience restoration and strength of soul, sitting quietly before our Maker, confident as a little child in the presence of a loving Parent?

God, through the psalmist tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The Hebrew word for “still” means “to slacken” or, specifically, to “cease striving.” It describes the condition of a restful soul—where our inner person is fully at rest and peace, without the noise of all that demands our attention and fills our “to do” list.

Do you ever feel frantic, anxious, and always moving, as if the wheels will fall off the bus if you stop for a minute? Have you found anything that has helped you to create a rhythm that turns down the volume of the noises that assault your soul and the demands that assail you?