What “Selah” Teaches Us About Slowing Down in a World That Rushes Everything

I wrote a blog a few years ago confessing that I actually like the early displays of Christmas merchandise.

> Trigger Warning: It’s Not Too Early For Christmas Displays!

I made some good points in it and I felt confident in my viewpoint.

Well, I am starting to change my mind or at least look at things from the other side. Oh, my heart still quickens with joy when I see Christmas items start popping up and I don’t think I’ll ever change in that regard. Christmas fills my heart with joy and I love any reminder of it.

But I’ve noticed a trend lately to speed life up and it’s a bit scary.

Recently, I was scrolling through Instagram and there were suddenly lots of Fall and Halloween pictures. It’s summer! Why would I be interested in pumpkins and acorns and other Autumn things? Yet my feed was loaded with homes already decorated in fall splendor.

The influencers have even coined a name for this phenomenon: Augtober! Apparently, it officially started on August 1^st and it means moving on to fall way too early!

I love Fall, don’t get me wrong. I love the cooler weather, the colors, and the coziness of it all. But skipping through the beautiful things of summer to get there faster just seems ridiculous. By the time Autumn actually arrives the things that make it special will seem outdated and stale.

I have accepted that Summer is a time of setting up back-to-school displays too early (that used to drive my son crazy). But it should also be a time of pool floaties and squirt gun displays, not pumpkins and fuzzy throws.

I worked retail for many years so I am not ignorant of the need to set things up early. I also understand that the stores themselves did not make the decision to cram the next holiday’s merchandise out before the last holiday is even over (so don’t yell at the poor associates). But it seems like it’s gotten completely out of control and things are being thrown at us faster and faster.

I saw a meme from Scott D. Clary that said:

That hit home with me. Especially in the USA we have lost the importance of rest and just stopping for a while.

So, is this way of life new?

There is a word in the Bible that shows us it is not;

Selah.

This Hebrew word is meant as an intentional pause in the reading. Even in our Bible reading we tend to rush from one verse to the next. Selah is a reminder to pause, pause to think, to let the truth wash over us, to pray, to praise, to learn.

One definition of Selah is: “An invitation to reflect.” Isn’t that lovely? An invitation to reflect. We all need that in our lives. Instead of rushing from one thing to another, or one season to another, what if we accepted an invitation to pause and reflect. Think of the beautiful things we could learn and feel. Think of the peace that would wash over us.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Selah button in life? When my granddaughter was little her thoughts zoomed through her head faster than she could process or articulate them. She would say, “Pause!” And then she would stop long enough to catch up with what she was thinking about. I don’t know where she came up with that but it was a brilliant way for her to process all the information in her brain.

Selah is found 74 times in the Bible (mostly in Psalms). Psalms contains so much wisdom and it is a wonderful reminder to stop and let the words sink in. It turns out that even our ancestors needed that reminder.

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Knowing what Selah means will cause me to read scripture in a new way. But where else can I implement it in life? God has blessed me in so many ways. Do I ever pause long enough to really soak that in or do I simply rush off to the next thing? Do I really need to decorate my house for Fall before the summer is over? Or can I just be content with sitting in the “now”?

Social media pushes us to zoom off to the next thing, the next holiday, the newest fashion item, or the latest food craze. People make money by creating a frenzy of “I need” or “I want”. But now I have a word when I feel frenzied. Selah. It will remind me to sit right where I am and be thankful.

There will be no Augtober for me. I will relax and enjoy these last sleepy days of summer before I move on.

So the next time you are feeling guilty about what you’re NOT doing, remind yourself that it’s also important to pause and reflect. After all, it’s written right in the Bible. Seventy-four times.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10