A Restless Spirit: What to Do About It?
A recent email revealed the sender had a restless spirit. Not only did he totally misunderstand scripture but saw me as the enemy and with ease spewed out hateful venom. His behavior reminded me of people waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The following week they said, “Crucify Him” (Jesus).
Perplexed about this man’s reaction to scripture, I asked God if I’d missed it. Thankfully, I interpreted the Word of God correctly (I didn’t blunt the two-edged sword through compromise). This person sought answers from his mind and feelings so scripture unsettled him. He exhibited symptoms of a restless spirit defined by Webster’s Dictionary: lacking or denying rest, unquiet, changeful, and discontented.
After getting over the shock of an injection of verbal poison, I prayed for this man to find God anew. If allowed, God can shatter whatever causes him to separate himself from scripture and reverse the untruths he chooses to accept.
Having prayed for him, I know I could also fail to allow the Bible to reveal who God is. So, I asked God to strip me of anything that deadens my spirit. Every time I lack peace and my heart is unsettled, I don’t trust Him.
What Is a Restless Spirit?
I’ve been where this man is now (minus slinging hurtful words). I haven’t always consecrated my life to God and frequently lived on the wrong side of faith and scripture. To sort through this spiritual malady of a restless spirit, let’s look at examples from the Bible.
Can you imagine what Abraham thought when God said go kill your only son Isaac? Wouldn’t that word from God unsettle your heart? Moses happily shepherded smelly sheep far away from Egypt and a burning bush talked to him. God delivered a message to lead the Israelites out of bondage. Moses asked lots of questions but God’s words must have been very disconcerting to hear.
God spoke to Abraham and Moses directly and He still does to current-day Christians. We have an advantage over them because we can get counsel from God’s written word any time we want. However, it’s important to keep one thing in mind. Some people see scripture as open-ended, without limits or boundaries when they hope God doesn’t really mean what He says.
Christians with that mindset can go about with unsettled hearts and restless spirits. They sidestep Biblical authority in favor of something that’s easier to follow and requires less effort. God’s reality (His Holy Word) upends deception. When you and I filter God’s truth through our flesh, we crack our spiritual foundations.
Romans 1:18-21
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
What Causes a Restless Spirit?
This happens to me. Discontentment rises up inside me when life is good. Outward signs of discontent may include frustration, sadness, or depression alerting you that all is not well in your spirit. When you have those feelings, it’s time to discover what’s causing unrest and do something about it.
- Unconfessed sin: Sins we commit gnaw at our spirits until we ask God for forgiveness. Thoughts to turn to God continue to roam in our heads until we go to Him and sincerely repent.
- Hungry for God: Your appetite for God changes throughout your spiritual journey. When your passion for God is on the increase, it means you’re tired of what the world has to offer (which never satisfies you). You’re ready to feed on the Word of God and let the Bread of Life feed your soul. By doing so, you transition to the next level of spiritual maturity.
- A desire for something more: Many times God wants you to let go of something that is spiritually dead. It could be a job, a relationship, or a worldly belief. He puts a desire inside of you to reach for more of Him. But until you do, you feel uneasy and excited at the same time.
- Worry and fretting: It’s an understatement to say we live in turbulent times in the 21st century. Biblical prophecies continue to unfold quickly. Looking around at what’s happening is frightening and can lead to anxiety. But Jesus said worries won’t add a single moment to your life (Matthew 6:25-27) and to not do it.
- Unrest about decisions: A Christian businessman may get a halting feeling when someone approaches them about establishing a partnership. You decide not to jog the same route and the next day find out someone was attacked on your old jogging path. For 4+ years I’ve looked at properties to be closer to my daughter (3 hours away). I still don’t have peace about moving and believe that God’s timing will be perfect.
Biblical Solutions for a Restless Spirit
- Remind yourself that God wants the best for you. Just know that His best may have a different meaning to you. You may see no reason to change jobs, modify your lifestyle, or give up responsibilities when God prompts you to. Don’t follow your feelings but Holy Ghost promptings to shift your focus into God’s direction.
- Don’t fight God. He has the answer when you sense “my spirit feels uneasy.” Turn to Him FIRST for answers (not every Christian friend you can find) when you feel uneasy.
- Seek perfect peace. A troubled heart drives every step you take. But Jesus left all of us peace (John 14:27). The kind of peace He gives no one can take away. Because Jesus overcame the world, we don’t have to. We live in the world but the world doesn’t live in us.
- Enter God’s rest. That doesn’t mean you become idle and do nothing. It means when you work steadily along for God’s kingdom, you’re restful because you hand over concerns to Him. You seek Him first and His righteousness and He takes care of everything else.
Rejoice when you’re spiritually sensitive to God’s voice. The Holy Spirit is your internal voice and compass steering you in the right direction, away from a restless spirit. That still small voice grows stronger inside you every time you heed His guidance. The more you do that, the easier it becomes to hear Him thereby skirting restlessness.