Hello All,

Today’s motivation comes to you in real time. I decided to draw today’s motivation from the Master of Motivation Himself, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

“Peace, be still.” —Jesus Christ, New Testament-The Book of Mark, 4:38-40

One of my favorite passages in the Bible deals with Jesus and his disciples taking a trip on a boat. At some point during the journey, the seas become very turbulent. The disciples become worried and they go down below to where Jesus is sleeping and awaken him. After he comes up to the deck of the ship, Jesus cast his hands out unto the waters and speaks to the rough seas saying, “peace…be still.”  At that point, the waters become calm again.

I decided to use this piece of scripture because of something I experienced last week. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I’ve decided to start my own business. This task is very challenging due to the fact I’m operating on a shoestring budget. Yet, as I begin to gather the items I want to sell for my online business, I discover some things aren’t in order. In addition, there are external forces that are trying to make me spend money at a crucial time when I must save for my business endeavor. At one point, as the storm clouds gather and seas become turbulent , I hear a voice that says to me, “peace…be still.” The turbulence has passed and I am as calm as a mill pond.

The interesting thing about this epiphany is due to my being still, some amazing things occurred. First, it made me calm myself. This allowed me to stop and and be still. Second, it gave me a moment of clarity to re-think somethings through and come up with some viable solutions. Instead of seeing lost opportunities, I realized there are things that I can do differently to create positive lasting change. Last, it made me realize that I needed to stop reacting to the situation at hand and act on it. This is powerful because I was able to step back and analyze the situation thoroughly. I discovered that what I thought was my taking action on certain things was really my reaction to things. Has this ever happen to you?

There are times when we will experience some rough waters on our journey. Like the disciples, we will be running about in a state of panic. There may even be some people around you, acting like Chicken Little, screaming that the sky is falling. In these moments of turbulence, chaos and confusion, we must remain calm, even when the situation seems hopeless.

Notice in the parable, Jesus remains calm throughout the situation despite the rough seas. Granted the ship could have sank, crashed against some rocks, or the sails could have collapsed. However, Jesus didn’t focus on the problem, he focused on a solution. For him, it was to speak directly to the situation at hand-the rough waters, and he solved the problem.

As you travel the seas of life, is there a moment when your ship is facing rough waters? Do you find yourself being tossed to and fro and you can’t seem to steer clear to calmer waters? In these moments of chaos, be at peace and be still. Allow the stillness to set your mind at ease so that you can have a moment of clarity to see your way through.

Remember, when the seas of your life’s journey become too rough, find peace in the stillness.