Try To Relax

I hate going to the dentist. One particular incident happened way back in my high school days where I had to be hospitalized for 3 days after having my wisdom tooth removed. I have dreaded going to the dentist ever since.

My wife makes me go for cleaning every now and then though, so every now and then I find myself sitting in the dentist's chair staring into a bright lamp, drill and other sharp objects (the mere thought makes me shudder).

Getting ready for the worst, my body language and facial expression exposes my sense of dread. But the dentist just looks and me and smiles, saying "It's ok Ian. Try to relax."

Easier said than done. It is actually very difficult to try (requiring effort and exertion) to relax (requiring an absence of effort and exertion). Try and relax just don’t seem to fit together—not only in the dentist’s chair, but in the spiritual realm as well.

Far too often I don’t limit my efforts of resistance to visits at the dentist’s office. In my relationship with Christ, I find myself not pressing for God’s purposes but for my own interests. In those moments, the hardest thing for me to do is “try to relax” and genuinely trust God for the outcome of life’s trials.

In Psalm 46:10, we read, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” In the moments when my heart is anxious, this verse reminds me to “be still, and know.” Now, if I can only put that into practice and rest confidently in His care, I’ll be at peace.

God knows the future, so we are safe in His hands.