Restlessness

Have you ever heard a prayer which so resonated with your heart and which you sensed touched Heaven too?

The Bible is riddled with prayers that have transformed the lives of people through history, but which continue to be instrumental in seeing life change here on the earth today too. Beyond those in Scripture, there are also stories of those whose prayers have affected their generation and which continue to inspire and enrich our lives today. One of those more famous prayerful acknowledgments penned by Augustine of Hippo(1), the African Bishop who lived from 354-430 AD, declared the following:

You made us for Yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they find their rest in You’

(note that the original writing has been updated by the blog’s author into contemporary English).

In an age of ‘self-discovery’, whether it be for the purposes of discovering self-esteem, understanding, satisfaction, peace or any other issue in search of self, Augustine’s words echo through history to our present day with a remedy which our hearts need to hear again. Peace is found through intimate ongoing encounter with the One who made us for Himself.

There is a restlessness on the earth right now and all sorts of movements are reflecting it, whether through war, ‘Me Too’ movements, or strikes that are commonplace in various industries. Something deep within the heart of humanity is the searching for a voice; being heard, understood and valued is the cry of the human soul. Jesus is the answer to that cry. Engaging with Him is far more than a mere one way religious protocol.

Rather, He wants to speak deeply into the human soul, to breathe Life into the fire of our hearts.

Augustine pointed us to the medicine and remedy outside of our own selves. Our origins, whether biologically or spiritually, are not complete just by looking inside; DNA alone which is written throughout our beings does not contain the full essence of our make-up. Our story is part of a much greater piece of history which goes beyond our family alone. Our stories can only be discovered when we return to The Author who first imagined them into existence. That Author wrote about our lives and made us for Himself.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 1 verse 3, the Apostle John identifies the Author, The Word – Jesus, through whom he states, ‘all things were made’(2). History’s great struggle, as Augustine puts it, is the restlessness of both heart and the mind. This challenge is one that continues to create a struggle in many, and it doesn’t matter how rich or infamous you may or may not be. The reality of this problem, magnified in even greater ways following the COVID pandemic(3) is not a new problem. King David, one of histories greatest lyricists, cried out in song, ‘Why are you in despair, O my soul? What have you become restless and disquieted within me?’ (Psalm 42:11 AMP)(4).

David’s song seems to be reverberating around a lot on planet earth right now in one way or another! What he helpfully identified was the fact that he had a problem. Recognising we have an issue is the first step to getting it sorted.

David realised that his feeling, whilst common, was not supposed to be his norm.

Echoing Augustine’s prayer, he threw out an anchor. In the midst of his own turbulence, that anchor grounded itself in the reality of God’s presence. The Psalm continues, this time moving upward in praise, and steered him toward the place where safety can be found. He orientated his focus in a new direction away from what is happening inside, ‘Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God’(4). He knew whom he could trust to bring him through.

A public speaker called Fran Lebowitz, recently said, “There is no such thing as inner peace. There is only nervousness or death”(2). Lebowitz is right on one hand. The soul alone does not have the capacity to offer much in terms of peace. A lot of the time it feels like a war goes on within that needs help… Thankfully, the Spirit of God is very willing to make His home within us, if we would welcome Him(5). He wants to get down deep on the inside of us. We hear and see celebrities sharing their own inner sense of turmoil – fame and money do not protect people from fear. Whoever you are, it appears that a restlessness within is part of the human condition.

If I stare at my inner turbulence for long enough, will it keep me safe or am I in danger of sinking further into turmoil? David pointed to solution outside of himself, a solution with insider knowledge about who he is, a Counsellor that understood exactly what was happening. He looked to his Author, the One who began his story, the One who is able to steer him safely to rest within his being. That Author wrote about your life way before you were even present here on earth. He knows how many hairs are on your head (if any!). He knows you by name, and is calling you to come close. Your restlessness does not need to be your conclusion about life.

Root this now

A. You are not abnormal because you feel restless. When feelings and thoughts generate turbulence, know that this is not intended to be your normal. God wants to be your anchor; are you letting Him ground you? Could you spend some additional time in Scripture, maybe even start a new bible plan with the Bible app (You Version)? Have you given some time to prayer recently?

B. David identified his problem. He spoke to his soul, then told it where to head. What diet we feed our soul with matters… Take 5 minutes to sit down and remind yourself, out loud, of all that God has done for you in the past. Choose a verse (like Jeremiah 31 verse 3 or Isaiah 40 verse 30 – 31, and tell God what you see about Him there…

C. Jesus, the one through whom ‘all things were made’ made you and he made me. Cry out to Him using David’s words or your own. Ask him to be your Anchor, and wait for Him to draw near. He will come.

References

1. Outler, A.C (ed). (1950) ‘Augustine: Confessions’. Found at: https://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/hum100/augustinconf.pdf. Accessed: 31/01/2024

2. Psalm 42:11, Berean Standard Bible

3. World Health Organization. (2022) ‘COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide’. Found at: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

4. Psalm 42:11, Amplified Version

5. John 14:16, Berean Standard Bible

New Directions UK Blog.

Sashi Sehgal, January 2024