Be Still: Facing Our Self
April 21, 2024

Facing Our Self

The Psalms of Lament:

There are around 65 Psalms of Lament or nearly half of the book of Psalms that sound like this


10 I am dying from grief;
my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;
I am wasting away from within.
11I am scorned by all my enemies
and despised by my neighbors—
even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
they run the other way.

- Psalms 31:10-11


Lament is an integral part of the human experience..

Have you ever felt emotions like these?


Let’s look at a portion of scripture in which Jesus confronts the reality of his situation, and in solitude, he feels the deep emotions of what it means to be human.


32They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
*-Mark 14:32-36*

Jesus in the Garden

  1. Grieved to the point of Death.
  2. Honest about his desires.
  3. Surrenders to God.


What can we learn from this?

1. Face our Feelings.

What are the feelings that come up in silence and solitude?

  • Exhaustion

“When we are dangerously tired, we may be numb to the full range of human emotion. While it may seem like a relief to be unhampered by the negative emotions that bog other people down, in this condition the positive emotions become elusive as well. When we are dangerously tired we don’t feel much of anything, good or bad.”
—Ruth Haley Barton

  • Fear

  • Anxiety

  • Anger

  • Pain


Why should we face these Emotions?

1. Because they often cause damage to us.
2. They impact those around us.
3. They keep us from helping others.

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2. Deliver our Desires.

“Everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering from me.”

This teaches us that it’s not sinful to come before the Lord with the desire for him to remove the pain and the suffering.

3. Trust the Will of God.

“Not my will, but yours be done.”

We have to be able to give ourselves completely to God. This is one of the critical parts of silence and solitude.


Do you remember the Psalms of Lament?

10I am dying from grief;
my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;
I am wasting away from within.
11I am scorned by all my enemies
and despised by my neighbors—
even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
they run the other way.

-Psalm 31:10-11

Well, he goes on for a few more verses about rumors against him and enemies conspiring. But then, in verse 14, there is a shift in tone.

14But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!

-Psalms 31:14-16

And the very last verse, verse 24, ends by saying this:

24So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!

-Psalm 31:24


In silence and solitude, we are fully exposed, waiting for the work of God.

The practice for this week:

  1. Slow Down - Find a time and place to get quiet. Spend time slowing down to sit still in the silence and solitude.
  2. Notice and Name - As you’ve slowed down, begin to notice the emotions and feelings in your heart. (We’ve provided some of those in the notes on the app and in your bulletin) Then, begin to name those feelings. One reason to do this is because it helps create a little separation from those feelings. You aren’t sad that it is not part of your identity. You feel sad. It is an emotion you are feeling. The other is because you are naming it before the Lord. You are telling him this is what I am feeling, Lord.
  3. Surrender and Trust— Then surrender those feelings to the Lord. Here they are, and I trust you. I trust you with my fear, my anxiety, and the pain I am feeling at this moment.
  4. End with Gratitude— End with a simple prayer of thank you, Lord. This helps us remember his faithfulness and give him thanks for all he has done and all he is going to do. ‌

List of Emotions: Download Here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N1D3wq1S4iS491YIxSIWx4_qIXgw0l7_/view?usp=sharing