3 Ways to Find Stillness in a Busy Season - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 6, 2026

Audio By Carbonatix

This time of year always brings a fresh wind of new schedules, activities beginning, and, if you have school-aged children, new routines to navigate. You might welcome the new pace on one hand, and on the other, grieve a slower, less-committed season. Wherever you may fall, it’s imperative to commit to a practice of stillness in a busy season.

Moving houses, having babies, facing medical reports, changing jobs, and finding the right church to call home are just a few extra layers that can make our lives busier, often adding unwanted stress. The call for stillness is even more important.

The idea of stillness can be off-putting to a “hustle” culture. Stillness can invoke ideas of laziness or apathy toward our goals, desires, or even God-given gifts and talents we’ve been blessed with. Curating a day-to-day routine that includes stillness and rest is the life support our lives and relationships need to operate in a healthy, God-honoring manner. But how do we do this in the midst of real life?

Be Still Before the Lord

You and I both know there’s a difference between being still on the couch with Netflix streaming versus being still before the Lord! 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." When we are still before the Lord, our lives are shaped and molded by a living God. When we read the Bible and pray, His desires become our desires. How we interact with others, what business decisions we make, and the goals we set are all part of the overflow from time spent with our King. In practice, carve out time in the morning to have intentional time with the Lord. This sets the tone for the day!

Observe Sabbath

Dedicate a day where you rest. Imagine this: an unhurried day filled with the sweetness of time, food, rest, relationships, and fun! This Biblical principle wasn’t simply a good idea for the Israelites walking through the wilderness, but a Spiritual practice we need in our week. Honoring the Sabbath is the clearest invitation to find stillness in our busy schedules. How does it look in practice in our lives? A few ideas include attending church, refusing to participate in sports with games or practices on the family Sabbath day, enjoying a meal with family and friends, holding off on chores for the day, and allowing yourself the luxury of an afternoon nap. The sabbath reminds us we are humans, not machines, made in God’s image. Oh, and God rested (Genesis 2:2-3)! He set the tone for our week, modeled the Sabbath for our loved ones and us, and reflected God’s heart.

Prioritize Sleep

I bet you didn’t expect this one to be included! It’s the longest possible stretch of stillness you can practice! Hear me out. Our bodies must absolutely have quality sleep. Our brains need to be refueled. When we get adequate sleep, our immune systems are strengthened, our problem-solving skills are sharpened, our appetites the following day are regulated, and we are more patient and less irritable. Wait, there’s more! Our hormones are regulated, our blood pressure is supported, and our cells enter recovery and repair to fight disease and illness. Let’s remember our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). How we operate during the day often reflects the previous night’s sleep. So, how can one prioritize a great night of sleep?

A few simple ways:

• An hour before bed, ditch the electronics.
• Set a bedtime and consistently go to sleep at the same time.
• Turn the thermostat down to a cool setting.
• Surrender the thoughts keeping you awake and trade worry for His peace.

Prioritizing daily time with God, honoring a weekly Sabbath, and protecting quality sleep each night sets intentional habits for stillness in both seasons of rest and busyness. When we maintain these habits through all seasons, we already have an intentional rhythm in place for when life adds extra layers of stress we weren’t expecting! Stillness isn’t something we scramble for in a crisis or when life finally slows down. Stillness is cultivated day by day. In the cultivation, we find God ready to fill us up with peace and purpose in all seasons.

Let's pray ...

Father,
Renew our hearts, minds, and bodies. Show us where we are on the hamster wheel of “too busy” and find a space to rest. I pray for our daily time with you. Father, may it be sweet and purposeful. Instill in us a desire and protection for a weekly habit of the Sabbath. Show us the way, and so we may experience a life-giving rest to begin our weeks. Lord, may our sleep be sweet and restorative. We know you never sleep and grant rest to those you love. As we find stillness in our sleep, we rejuvenate our bodies so we may love and serve you better each day. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen!

What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Alexander Grey

When Shea is not chopping tiny food up for her three tiny humans, or pitching Chipotle to her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, you can find her doing the following: Feeding her sourdough starter (aka 4th child) and baking bread. Putting her Master of Divinity to work by furiously typing about Jesus during naptimes. Posting encouragement and #momlife reels on Instagram. Conquering virtual hills on her Peloton. Renovating "the dream home" with her husband. Co-hosting her church's podcast. Homeschooling the littles. Leading a Barre class. Preaching, teaching, and storytelling. And finally, pretending she will keep her indoor plants alive...this time! You can connect with Shea on Instagram at @SheaHsmith, visit her website at www.sheahsmith.com, and keep up with her posts by signing up here. 

Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour

Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone. 

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