To Equip & Encourage

Resources and articles to help you in your journey to becoming a better father, husband, and leader in your home, business, and community.

How To Be A World Class Lumber Jack (Impact Hard Devotional: Day 69)

abiding in christ be still and know god biblical stillness christian daily devotional for men christian leadership devotion christian men's ministry christian solitude christian spiritual disciplines faith and productivity hearing god's voice prayer and solitude psalm 46:10 devotional quiet time with god spending time with god spiritual growth for men

Silence, Solitude & Spiritual Depth

How To Be A World Class Lumber Jack

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

----------

Rise and grind.

Wake up, get going, get to work, get busy, and get stuff done.

Finish the work day. Crack open a cold one. Watch the game. Meet up with buddies. Check emails. Drive to practice. Dinner with the family. Crash exhausted.

Most men spend the majority of their days (and lives) focused on either producing to show their value or pacifying themselves to avoid their problems. With all the emphasis on producing and pacifying, there is little time for pausing. Think about that word “pause” for a moment. Let’s say you are watching your favorite football team play in a big game. You may “pause” the game for a moment, but at the earliest opportunity, you want to push play and get back to watching the action! Pausing seems like a waste of time and the absence of progress and growth.

We take this same mindset into our relationship with God. When God commands us to “Be still and know that I am God,” our individualistic, performance driven cultural influences tell us that we are wasting key time for productivity. Or, the stillness and silence with God is so uncomfortable and awkward for us that we immediately want to pacify ourselves in order to avoid unwelcome thoughts or unbearable boredom. Being still with God is not a practice that gets us praise or acclaim, or even a high five from our pastor. Yet, it could be argued that this was the secret to Jesus’ ministry success.

“Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.” Mark 1:35

If the Son of God and the Creator of the universe deemed it necessary to practice stillness, solitude and communion with God, how much more do we need to do the same in our own lives?

If you are anything like me, you live and die by your calendar. So, if you want to make solitude and stillness with God a regular practice in your life, it needs to be a regular part of your calendar. To say you want to practice quiet solitude with God, yet never add this practice to your schedule is nothing more than wishful imagination.

Production is good, but even the best lumberjack needs to sharpen his saw. Choose to make room for an extended amount of time together with God. Add it to your calendar. Go ahead and do it right now.

Reflection: (Don’t skip this!)

What do I need to know?
How do I need to grow?
Where does this need to show up in my life?

Take the challenge, step up to the task, and watch God transform your life, your relationships and your legacy over the next 75 days in God’s Word.

Join the IMPACT Hard 75 Day Challenge!

Interested in joining a group or bringing men together in your community to grow as husbands, fathers, and leaders? Sign up for our Newsletter!

To Equip & Encourage

How To Be A World Class Lumber Jack (Impact Hard Devotional: Day 69)

How To Be A World Class Lumber Jack

IMPACT HARD | 75 Day Devotional for Men | © 2026

Share this blog post using the buttons below.

Join a Cohort near you!