Interview with Amanda Lindsey Cook

Amanda Lindsey Cook talks about her inspiration behind her new single “Still,” and what it means to be still and know He is God. Watch more of Amanda Lindsey Cook’s story behind her single “Still” and learn how to play the song on your instrument at WorshipU.com.

Q: What inspired you to write “Still”?

A: When we are tested through trial and hardship, we are brought to the edges of what we’ve created for ourselves that temporarily brought us peace. All we’re left with is: what do we have access to internally that brings stillness, presence, and peace that has nothing to do with our outward experiences?

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know I am God,” seems so poetically nice and wrapped up in a bow. I believe when the song was written David was in a chaotic time in his life, and it was a statement, “I will be still and know. This is all I have left and everything that matters.” When those things are written it’s an invitation for us to experience it also.

Q: How would you define stillness?

A: Stillness can be seen as passivity in our current culture and climate. Our culture feels the need to win and assert ourselves to feel like an overcomer. If we don’t know how to do that internally we try to do it externally. We use aggressive language because we think that is how to conquer and conquest, and if you’re not winning you’re losing. I used a lot of aggression towards things I wrestled with until it actually came to a melting point of letting go and surrendering to God.

Fear used to be an enemy, and it became an indicator. The Holy Spirit isn’t afraid of our fear. When I started acknowledging the presence of God inside of me that’s greater than the fear, I realized His peace is shimmering underneath all of this. We don’t have to be reactive and beat fear down to feel at peace, we can be at peace even though fear is present. I found myself in a place where I could feel afraid but that wasn’t the whole story, God’s peace is presiding over this whole situation.

Q: What is the idea behind your lyrics, “I lift every fear to the heavens”?

A: The idea of lifting every fear to the heavens is like saying, ‘This is all I have left because I’ve tried everything else.’ I tried over asserting myself, beating up fear, making conquests, and it all feels very weak. When we lift everything and let it go, we can watch it fall into perfect peace. This isn’t passivity, it’s the peace that’s been presiding over me the whole time. The presence of God is like a friend who knows and sees all my anxious thoughts and listens to every single one of them until it all falls into His perfect peace.

Watch more of Amanda Lindsey Cook’s story behind her single “Still” and learn how to play the song on your instrument at WorshipU.com.