I desire a new pair of footwear. A distinct tackle. A greater job. One other carton of Ben and Jerry’s. Oh, and world peace.
The checklist of issues I covet could inform you that I violate the tenth commandment — the one about not coveting my neighbor’s stuff — on the common. (It might additionally inform you I is usually a shallow individual with a penchant for cliché solutions about world peace extra appropriate for a pageant Q&A than for an sincere confession of the state of my soul.)
However my seemingly countless checklist of desires doesn’t solely reveal my coveting points. It’s a symptom of my restlessness. C.S. Lewis famously identified this restlessness with these phrases:
If I discover in myself a need which no expertise on this world can fulfill, probably the most possible rationalization is that I used to be made for an additional world.
We stay between Eden and eternity. In consequence, we’re stressed folks.
We try and silence this restlessness in quite a lot of methods. As a result of if we will mute our restlessness, then we don’t must cope with it.
We could numb our restlessness. Ingesting or substance abuse is one type of anesthesia, however meals, purchasing, busyness and media consumption can function socially acceptable numbing brokers as properly. It’s only when these behaviors develop into compulsive that we usually flag them as issues. However many people resort to retail remedy or senseless binge-watching as a coping mechanism for uncomfortable, unsettled emotions.
One other method a few of us cope with this sense of restlessness is by idealizing the previous. Nostalgia dons rose-colored glasses and appears again on the good ol’ days as a remedy for the disquiet of the current.
For instance, I’ve a good friend who lives in a perpetual state of wistfulness for the idealized model of the Nineteen Thirties that lives in her head — full with prolonged, multi-generational household gathered across the radio after consuming a healthful, frugal supper collectively. (The bankruptcies, damaged households and racial divisions that existed on this nation in the course of the Despair don’t exist in my good friend’s creativeness.) In consequence, her present-tense life — the one she’s really dwelling — can by no means evaluate with the one in her creativeness.
Restlessness has been for others a clarion name to take up (metaphorical) arms. Over the last couple of generations, some have embraced tradition struggle battles, diving deeply into political motion, eager for change.
There’s a actual and ongoing tug of struggle as we search to stay out what it means to stay on this planet, however not be of the world (John 17:14-16). Some determine to flee that rigidity by selecting the protection of separation from the world. Others immerse themselves on this planet, camouflaging themselves to mix in and keep away from making waves.
Lastly, some benefit from the luxurious of a cushty, satisfying, settled life. In consequence, their restlessness is dialed method down. The concept of restlessness could also be fully overseas to them.
I’ve recognized various individuals who haven’t been touched by main loss or upheaval, and the notion of wandering could really feel fully overseas to them. However when unwelcome change comes — because it does to most of us — the upheaval can create area for questions that by no means wanted to be requested earlier than: What’s my function? The place is my life going, and why? And so their sense of restlessness begins.
The present of restlessness?
All through my life, I’ve tried silencing my very own sense of restlessness by resorting to a number of coping mechanisms. I’ve tried numbing myself with busyness. I’ve soaked my soul in nostalgia. I’ve joined tradition struggle skirmishes. When every thing in my life gave the impression to be going fairly properly, I merely tried to disregard it.
None of these coping strategies completely quelled my restlessness, so as a substitute of combating it, I’m studying to embrace my wandering soul.
Whereas restlessness is loaded with all types of temptations and invites to sin, my sense of disquiet can even serve to focus my consideration towards God.
Irrespective of what number of occasions I learn it, I’m struck by the response of Abram to God’s surprising name in Genesis 12. Scripture doesn’t give us a lot of a backstory for Abram. We meet him when he’s already 75 years outdated. We be taught elsewhere in Scripture that Abram’s father, Terah, served different gods (Joshua 24:2). As well as, Abram and his spouse, Sarai, are childless, a difficulty of deep disgrace and sorrow of their tradition. Abram’s life seems settled on the floor — he lived seven a long time amongst his prolonged household. But he responded to the surprising name of God:
Go out of your nation and your kindred and your father’s home to the land that I’ll present you. (Genesis 12:1)
“Go” is a phrase a stressed soul is uniquely ready to listen to. The Hebrew phrases lech lecha used right here for the command “go” emphasize this wasn’t an informal suggestion. Lech means “stroll” and “come” along with “go.” Lecha is a preposition which means “to,” “towards” or “for,” and offers depth and route to the “go.”
Lech lecha tells us the Lord is our launchpad. He’s our companion on the best way. And He’s our vacation spot. Lech lecha is the street map for a pilgrim’s journey. Restlessness is usually a present in our lives if we acknowledge God is asking us to stay as pilgrims.
The phrase pilgrim usually conjures photographs of stern Seventeenth-century Puritans or an individual on an epic journey to a spiritual shrine. However it belongs to every one in every of us who acknowledges our restlessness is an invite to lech lecha with Jesus. Restlessness can certainly be a present whether it is hitched to a need to reply to the decision of God in our lives.
Generally “go” means “keep put”
Not all wanderers are pilgrims. Not all who keep put are settlers. Pilgrimage is a posture of the center, regardless of what number of zip codes we’ve had in our lives. My lifetime of pilgrimage has meant many relocations, new church buildings and new jobs. Yours could imply studying to stay as a pilgrim proper the place you’re.
Danish thinker Soren Kierkegaard famous that our standing as “pilgrims, strangers, and aliens on this planet” will move from a dwelling religion in Jesus, including,
Religion expressly signifies the deep, sturdy, blessed restlessness that drives the believer in order that he can’t quiet down at relaxation on this world, and due to this fact the one that has settled down fully at relaxation has additionally ceased to be a believer, as a result of a believer can’t sit nonetheless as one sits with a pilgrim’s employees in a single’s hand — a believer travels ahead.
How are you going to stay right here and now with a pilgrim’s employees in your hand?
- Acknowledge your restlessness. In what methods are you numbing your self so that you don’t really feel its discomfort? Are you dealing with an uncomfortable current by wanting towards an idealized model of the previous? Are you reacting to the tradition round you with anger? Or are you ignoring your restlessness?
- Determine and confess sin. Restlessness is just not a sin, however part of our human situation. Nevertheless, the alternatives we make to quell our restlessness can lead us into sin. As you confess sin, do not forget that God is just not one bit shocked by your wandering coronary heart (Psalm 103:14).
- Ask God to point out you the following step. God by no means provides us your complete map. He asks us to easily reply in belief for one step in His route as He calls every of us to observe Him.
- Identify your eager for dwelling. Pilgrimage has a vacation spot. As we wander homeward with Jesus, our restlessness is part of what transforms us and touches these round us.
Psalm 84:5-7 (NIV) is an image of our lives as pilgrims:
Blessed are these whose energy is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they cross by means of the Valley of Baka,
they make it a spot of springs;
the autumn rains additionally cowl it with swimming pools.
They go from energy to energy,
until every seems earlier than God in Zion.
We’ve been born wanderers. However the excellent news is that our stressed hearts is usually a compass God makes use of to information us as we journey homeward to Him.
Copyright 2018 Michelle Van Loon. All rights reserved.
