Why Are We Restless?
Some people think of restlessness as a negative thing because they don’t believe it’s something God would want them to feel.
But I believe the Lord speaks to us through those nudges or feelings of restlessness.
A lot of us are restless because we know that we’re made for more. There is a great story unfolding in our lives, and we don't want to miss it. That restlessness could be a longing that is a God-given part of you. It could be a desire for your life to matter.
We were built to long for more. There's something within us that longs for things that will last.
That part of us desires to be a part of stories that grow into eternity. It wants our lives to count for important things. So, don’t judge that feeling of discontentment.
Allow yourself to feel that restlessness and longing. What do you notice about it? What is it that you really want? Exploring the layers behind that desire will allow you to discover what you truly want. There's something deep in our core that we all long for and that I believe God put in us. I know this might be hard to believe, but it's possible to have it. However, we won't have it fully until we reach heaven because part of what we crave is heaven.
Part of what we crave is for things to be made right in the world. For those of us who know Jesus, our lives are all moving towards something. Now we dimly see what is to come, but one day we will fully know our God and what He has for us. We will fully know ourselves and the way He's built us.
That feeling you've repeatedly stuffed down is actually a gift. That gift of restlessness inspires us to find what else there could be. Our answer to that has been a desire for fame and importance. And we live in a time where you can be known so easily that it becomes an accessible goal for all of us. We believe that fame will fill our souls.
We're restless for being seen and known. So, we want to do something big and important. And if we play by the world standards, then what we will seek with that restlessness will be different for all of us.
We were built by God to be a part of His story. Being a part of His story is the most fulfilling thing you will ever do. He built you a role in that story.
God knew you before you were born and prepared good works for you to do. He built gifts into you and made you who you are. He gave you what you love and what you’re good at. God gave you the passion and abilities you have, no matter how the world may judge their importance.
God designed each of us to play a different part in His story. Hence, you will be the most fulfilled doing what He planned for you. The most fulfilling and joyful place to be is where God designed for you to be. Those places in God's will may be invisible, unappreciated, or even outside the things you enjoy doing. And yet, you’ll still find contentment because you’re where He's put you. There’s security and peace in pleasing God and being where He wants you to be.
You may be wondering, “Am I doing what God wants me to do? Am I where God wants me to be?” Finally answering “yes” to these questions begins with being restless. It all begins with a hunch or the sense that you don't know if you’re doing what God wants you to do.
So, how do you know if you’re doing what God wants you to do?
There's a mystery to this, and then there are some really practical tools that help you know. God has given me clarity about what I do. That clarity has enabled me to take risks I never would have had the confidence to take otherwise. However, there are also times when He pulls me into places where I'm uncomfortable. And yet, He has helped me in those places.
This is not a black-and-white process.
There’s no button you press to know exactly what you’re supposed to do. So, you need a grid that can help you sift through the decisions you need to make.
Continue to ask God,
“What do you want me to know,
and what do you want me to do?”
He leads, but He also reveals things about us and clear moments where we can write those revelations.
We often think purpose has to be a huge thing that impresses everyone. We look for a purpose that society would consider “important.” We need to let go of that because what man praises on earth, God doesn't in heaven.
The most important thing in our search for purpose is how God views us, not human perception. Therefore, our priority should be to obey Him in all we do. Lay everything you do before Him so that you can be good with Him in heaven. Pray that God instils in you a spirit of obedience because that’s the main thing. Anything that people see should only be an overflow of that.
Let go of the idea of purpose impacting a lot of people because that's not even in your control. If you are called to do something, God will bring the necessary people around it. God is going to decide whatever you're supposed to do and however many people you're supposed to work with. And so, we need to let go of impact size because none of it is in our control.
If we can let go of the illusion of control, then we get back to the heart of what we love to do and what God is calling us to do. If we cling to the idea that we’re in control, then we stop ourselves from doing what God has called us to do out of fear that it wouldn't make a big impact. And so, we compare ourselves to others.
We can't hear from God if we're trying to keep up with other people's impact.
Similarly, we need to lay down everybody's opinion. Some people’s opinions have shaped you more than God's opinion of you, or even your opinion of yourself.
We need to recognize the times when we have questioned our gifts because of someone else’s opinion. We need to make a conscious decision to not listen to those opinions. However, we must find godly people who love us, are for us and can share constructive opinions about our gifts and how we share them with the world.
We need to let go of this idea of a calling. I have a friend who describes “callings” as assignments instead. There's not some big special calling you're going to live for other than the calling to be a child of God. There will be different times for you to focus on different parts of your life and do different good works that God has prepared for you to do.
We are all looking for this one thing the history books will write about us. But none of us will be remembered for more than one generation, even if we're famous. So, let go of that big thing you're supposed to do in life and focus on your assignments.
As children of God, we get to be a part of a story that lasts forever. That deep desire you have for your life to count will be met if you're doing the things God has built you for. Relationships, people, and the Word of God matter because they last forever.
Every part of your life matters because it shows God to people.
Your work puts you in your place and sets you in your time so that people may feel their way to God. We get that purpose met, even if we're wiping tables. We get to invest in the souls of humans that will last forever.
What you're doing is eternally significant, even if you think it’s unimportant.
There are things that God has planned for you to do, and you matter. Your gifts, passions, place, purpose, and people are not accidental. You were set here by design, and there are eternal awesome things God wants to do with you during our short years on this earth.
RESTLESS
If you’re looking for more on this topic, make sure to pick up a copy of Jennie’s book “Restless”, available anywhere where books are sold!
