“When in doubt, pause.

When angry, pause.

When tired, pause.

When stressed, pause.

And when you pause, pray.”

I saw this short quote when I was scrolling through Instagram the other day. I almost scrolled passed it, but then the caption stuck out at me: “practice the pause.”

Practicing the pause is something I often forget to do. I react too quick, I jump to conclusions, I panic before knowledge of the whole situation… Any of these sound familiar?

Practicing the pause makes a world of a difference. It allows us to take the time to stay calm, relax, and talk to God. When we do this, we truly live out Psalm 46:10 which is “Be still and know that I am God.”

When in doubt, pause. When we begin to lose faith, immediately get into communication with God. Pray for reassurance, pray for peace, pray for security… and all of these things will come to you. God never wants us to doubt his power over our lives. He has a perfect plan that is always for our good, whether we believe it at the time or not.

When angry, pause. This one is probably the most important. When we’re angry, it’s easy for us to quickly react without thinking. Take a deep breath, stop, and give yourself a chance to calm down. We should never react or make spur of the moment decisions when we’re mad. We should be clear-headed, calm, and controlled when we deal with tough situations or people.

When tired, pause. Let’s face it, we all get a little tired sometimes and could use a couple pauses throughout our day. Take a break from what you’re doing and spend a few minutes with God when you’re feeling overwhelmed, worn out, or beaten down. These few minutes with him can make the world of a difference.

When stressed, pause. If you let stress and anxiety take over your thoughts, it can fully consume you. When I become stressed or worried, I pause and immediately start counting my blessings. You can even write them down in a journal or in the notes section of your phone. This always helps change my mind from thoughts of worry to thoughts of praise.

Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the midst of life’s pauses, remember this verse. God promises that if you come to him, you will find rest no matter the circumstances you’re in. What an amazing feeling of comfort he can provide us with through a simple passage!

Rest in God today and take advantage of your pauses. They will change the way you deal with doubt, anger, stress, and so much more!

Chelsea is a writer, youtuber, speaker, author of "Your Own Beautiful Book", and Christian on mission to serve and love.