Last Wednesday I passed a church sign that read, “Selah: Pause and Reflect.” I’ve been meditating on those four simple words ever since. Selah is a word found 74 time in Scripture—71 times in the Psalms and 3 times in Habakkuk chapter 3. Biblical scholars agree that it is a musical term, the majority believe it means to pause, rest, or silence as in a musical interlude (BlueLetterBible.com).

If you have read The Wonder Woman’s Manifesto, you know that the concept of Sabbath is something that God has been kneading into my heart for some time now. I immediately connected Selah to Sabbath—a time to pause and reflect on God and life, a time to renew and be refreshed.

God places great value on Selah.

We as busy, modern, overachievers bristle against the idea of pausing. Our calendars are filled to overflowing, and our churches are not exempt. Between Sunday and midweek services, visitation, youth events, mission trips, service projects, summer camps, and small group sessions, we barely have time to breathe. I say this not from a heart of judgment, but from sincere introspection as I am quite content to be juggling a half-dozen things at once myself.

Since moving back to Michigan, life has changed dramatically for me. I no longer rush from job to rehearsal to church to Infusion to homework to…you get the picture. I have entered a season of pause, an interlude. Oddly, instead of enjoying a slower pace, I often find myself struggling with my identity.

Who Am I?

Am I a writer? A housekeeper? A daughter? Can I put “daughter” on a bank account application? What do people think of me? Does it matter what they think? Does anything I do matter at all?

I understand now why losing a job or going into retirement can be difficult for people. It seems that we believe what we do is the equivalent of who we are. If we keep a clean house, have well behaved children, hold a respectable position at work, and have a growing number of attendees at our services then we are good mothers, parents, providers, and pastors. This is a lie.

What has God told me to be?

I wonder if all the rushing about is meant to silence these questions of our hearts? We wonder if we are making a difference and if God is pleased with our efforts. We try so hard to fulfill this image in our minds of who we are supposed to be and never pause to reflect on what God has told us to be.

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Creation gives us the example of God resting on the seventh day, the Ten Commandments instruct us to do the same, and Jesus, the One who had every right to rush about looking important, made it a priority to pull away from the crowds to rest and seek God’s face alone. The things we do for God are important, but enjoying God’s presence is more so.

What are my actions communicating?

If I had moved home to care for my father and continued a frenzied pace of activity, ignoring him and avoiding time with him, what would my actions be communicating? Without saying a word, I would be telling him that he wasn’t important, valued, respected, or loved as he ought to be. When we rush about doing for God instead of spending time being with Him, we communicate the very same things.

It is vital for the Christian to incorporate Selah into his or her life. Rest. Reflect. Trust that God means these times of interlude to propel you into more meaningful service. Your identity is not in your actions, but in your association. You are first and foremost a child of God. Rest in the riches of His love for you. Revel in the status He gives to you. Trust that He will help you fulfill His plan for your life in His timing. Selah: pause and reflect. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. How has rest and reflection made a difference in your life? Do you find it difficult to create breathing room in the calendar? How can you take steps to add time for God into your day?

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