Where should you sit?
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“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” —Psalm 46:10
I’m looking forward to attending a CeCe Winans concert in a few weeks. She is a favorite of mine, and I was quick to sign up and choose great seats for the evening. Most performances, sporting events, and similar events are more enjoyable with a great seat.
Good seats take some planning and tend to cost more, but definitely make the whole experience more memorable. My husband and I were talking about a popular quote from Luciano Pavarotti’s dad the other day. Pavarotti said his dad’s words made a huge difference in how he chose to live his life and in the seat he chose to use.
I thought my readers would enjoy his perspective because the choices we make in this life impact our eternal lives as well.
Luciano Pavarotti’s life lesson
I was reading a Kennedy Center article that described Pavarotti saying, “Blessed with the sort of voice that comes around perhaps once in a century, Luciano Pavarotti placed his unique tenor instrument at the service of the great composers, revitalizing opera in our time and bringing beauty to generations of music lovers.”
Pavarotti had a great instrument to work with, but it was hard work and personal choices that contributed to his success and fame. His dad was a baker by trade and the man who introduced his son to opera. Pavarotti studied voice with Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in his hometown. In addition, Pavarotti went to a teacher’s college and earned his degree. Upon graduation, he had an important discussion with his dad. The tenor was struggling to choose which career to pursue. He considered pursuing a career in performance music while also seeking a more “steady” job as a music teacher.
Pavarotti’s dad gave him this advice: “If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.” An article in Bible.org quotes Pavarotti saying, “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.”
A fresh look at multitasking
I grew up in the generation that invented the term “multitasking.” IBM was the first to publish the term in 1965, but multitasking became a popular buzzword in the 80’s and 90’s. It began as a term describing a computer’s ability to perform multiple tasks, even though the process slowed the machine down.
In the 80’s and 90’s, it was applied to human efforts and meant “to juggle multiple tasks or responsibilities” simultaneously. I remember when “multitasking” was widely regarded as an attribute of success.
Today, people have come to realize that our brains are a lot like those early computers. We are able to multitask, but it causes us to function with a lower degree of success. Pavarotti’s dad was right. “We can’t sit in two chairs at the same time without falling between them.” Pavarotti’s amazing success as a professional tenor is proof of dad’s advice: “Commitment is the key. Choose one chair.”
The advice of Scripture
The Bible has a lot to say about maintaining faith as our highest priority in this life. We live in a busy culture, and we have multiple responsibilities. Distraction and busyness seem to be the greatest dangers to our spiritual efforts. That’s been true since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden and required to work hard for their food, shelter, family, and faith. What does Scripture say about “choosing one chair, spiritually”?
- Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
- God commanded Moses, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) and “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
- The psalmist prayed, “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
- In the Revelation, Jesus warns the church in Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4).
If cell phones had been around in the first century, Jesus might not have owned one. Jesus walked through every day of his life focused on his God-given purpose. He came to earth to be the Messiah. His sole purpose was to save souls. I can’t see Jesus holding a finger up in the air and telling his disciples or those he was preaching to, “Sorry, but I need to get this.” Jesus isolated himself from everyone and everything at times just so that he could focus solely on God, his Father.
Human beings were created to know God. Satan does whatever he is able to keep that from happening.
Embrace aging and “be still”
There is a good article on multitasking in the elderly. We might take vitamins for brain health, but we still can’t multitask like we used to. According to the article, “doing two things at the same time isn’t always as productive or safe as focusing on one thing at a time.” The statement in the article that spoke most to me was, “Multitasking can sometimes sap our reserves and create stress, raising our cortisol levels, especially when we’re time pressured. If such performance is sustained over long periods, it can leave you feeling fatigued or just plain empty.”
God created human beings to know him, and he created us to age. It is good to slow down and focus our lives on the task at hand. God said, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
When was the last time you stopped everything just to be still and exalt in God? Jesus died so that we could know God and live with him forever. We can’t chase the world and chase God at the same time. If we try, it’s like trying to sit in two chairs at the same time. We shouldn’t be surprised when we discover our souls have fallen to the ground.
Let’s find the time to sit quietly at the feet of God. Be still and know he is God. Be still and know that everything else can become a god in our lives. That singular, undistracted focus will provide peace and joy God intends for his children.
Where should you sit? Choose the chair located at the feet of Jesus. As the hymn says, “Look full in his wonderful face. The things of earth will grow strangely dim; in the light of his glory and grace.”
