Is restlessness something we should embrace, or is it an indication of some unresolved issues?
Restlessness is not to be confused with anxiety, although anxiety could be described as the flip side of being restless. Restlessness could be described as the opposite of complacency.
I was gently chided by more than one person that being restless is not a “fruit of the Spirit.” I was reminded that it was the Apostle Paul who wrote “godliness with contentment is great gain,” and on another occasion he wrote “whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content,” thereby holding himself up as the exemplar for us to follow.
My carnal nature fights with such admonitions. I argue that it is the type A personalities that are the achievers. Is it not those that are restless in spirit that we turn to for the energy and enthusiasm to bulldoze life’s obstacles?
I’ve spent many an hour in the barn with the cows. I’ve observed how they contentedly chew their cud as they are let their milk down while the milker drones on, with not a care in the world, perfectly at peace with themselves. There are many people that are blessed with the character traits of ruminants and I admire them. We need more of them. It is a good thing there are more of them in the world, than there are of us.
But is there not a place for those of us who rise up daily with the weight of the world on our shoulders, those of us with the DNA of a hunter looking to bring home the venison? Some would say this is an indication of unresolved issues, of a disturbed childhood, indications of a guilty conscience, or of not being at peace with one’s Maker. Continue reading