THE RESTLESS HEART

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

- St. Augustine of Hippo

Back in December of 2018, I took my family on a little weekend getaway to Seattle. Although a 5-hour drive from Kamloops seemed long, we were accustomed to doing this sort of thing. The continuous display of magnificent mountains, forests, and rivers usually have a calming effect on me, which makes for an excellent opportunity to un-plug from the regular motions of life. However, this time something was restless inside of me. 

This restlessness was expressed through complaining, and I sure did a lot of that for five hours. My poor wife endured so much just to get to Seattle, and even though much of what I was complaining about seemed legitimate, my focus was off. I know this because once we were in Seattle, as well as on our way back home, I made a conscious decision to worship God. Instead of focusing on all that frustrated me, I cranked up the worship playlist in the car and we simply sang along. What a difference! The whole atmosphere in the truck changed, as a deep sense of gratitude began to arise within me. Sometimes that’s what it takes: a deliberate choice to refocus. 

For the past few years this quote from St. Augustine of Hippo, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you,” has come up as a continual reminder to intentionally pursue God and learn to rest in Him. It’s such a profound statement that it encompasses the very struggle we all face on a regular basis. What were we made for? Where do we find our sense of identity and security? What do we pursue in this life? 

Regular life is full of distractions that keep us from truly knowing who God is, who we are within this relationship with Him, and how to dwell in a place of intimacy with Him. Countless times I’ve made excuses for all my different pursuits, yet felt frustrated with the sense of emptiness that comes from running around in circles. What’s even more ridiculous is when I tell myself that one more lap around will make a difference, only to arrive at the same disappointment. But what if the focus changed? 

What if we gave ourselves completely to understand what it means to be made for God, and that resting in Him is a life-long worthy pursuit? What would consume us? From my personal journey this is something that I’ve still been unpacking, and I will be sharing a bit more about it in the upcoming blog posts. The things that frustrated me still had to be dealt with, and pursuing God doesn’t mean that He wanted me to escape my realities. However, my heart’s disposition needed adjustment, and regularly I need to be reminded that I was made for God and called to rest in Him. So for now, allow me to suggest the following steps that have helped me posture my heart before God. These steps are tried and true throughout Christian history: 

First, Recall What God Has Done

The Psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” 

(Psalm 103:1-5). 

This involves a deliberate choice to STOP and RECALL what God HAS DONE in our life. The complaining doesn’t resolve the challenges of life effectively. We lose more than we bargain for through that process, such as: forgetting that God is able to do it again. When we lose sight of who God is and what He does, our faith grows weak, as does our soul. 

Second, Give Thanks For All He Has Done

The power of gratitude cannot be underestimated. By the time the Psalmist got to the end of his song, not only was he worshiping God, but he was also calling on others to join in the song. That effect of gratitude is tangible, authentic, and powerful. It allows us to see things from a perspective of confidence that God can see us through any challenge. 

You see, the very thing I was complaining about on our trip had to do with our church building being so large, with so many expenses and the congregation’s size not matching the financial demands the facility required. It seemed like an impossibility. All the necessary maintenance and upgrades seemed too large for us to handle. Three years later, I have countless stories to share of how God has provided for every single thing. What a different cycle to be in. That’s the power of gratitude. That’s the power of learning to rest in God, and know you were simply made for Him.

If He has done it before, He can do it again. If He has done it so far, then we can move forward knowing that He will continue to do what only He can do. Resting in God is not stopping and doing nothing. It’s moving forward with Him, confident in Him, knowing He is doing something.