WHY DO I HAVE FEELINGS OF ANXIETY AND RESTLESSNESS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings
of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the
rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great
love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions; it is by grace you have been saved.
(Ephesians 2:3-5)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever heard someone make this statement, or said it yourself,
    “I just want to live my life!”
That could very well be the inner spirit of a person crying out for relief.
We may have tried living our life our own way, but have gained nothing,
or very little from our efforts. We may have achieved wealth or a high
status in the eyes of the world, but we have not appeased our inner
spirit and as a result, we remain restless.

The scriptures give us some indications of what living our own way looks
like. We are driven by the thoughts and desires that are controlled by our
sinful nature. Even though others may think we ‘have it all together’, we
know the feelings of anxiousness and the desires for something fulfilling
that are constantly with us.

Man has not been able to devise anything to fill this void, and he never will.
However, God can! He knows how our feelings of being the objects of His
wrath, can stir a desire for righteousness in our lives. We may have trouble
identifying our restlessness, but He knows exactly the root of our problem.

God has a great love for every individual, and He knows how to free us from
this bondage we are feeling. His heart of mercy provided a path for leaving
our ‘dead life’ behind, so we can become ‘alive with Christ’! We don’t become
‘alive with Christ’ through knowledge; we become alive with Him through a
relationship.

The scriptures are clear – if we expect to ‘live with Christ’ we must make
significant changes in our thoughts, words, attitudes, emotions and deeds.
Moving from death (in our sins) to life (with Christ) is a quantum leap. It
is not something to be considered insignificant that will happen in a subtle
manner – we must do something.

God has given us a path for making a dramatic transformation. Instead
of ‘living for ourselves’, we transition to ‘living for Him’. This is when  
we will discover what ‘real living’ is all about.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Am I still living a life of restlessness?
    – Am I consumed with excessive worrying?

The scriptures tell us that we don’t have to continue living this way.
We can become a ‘new person’. Whatever hang-ups we have, God
can handle them. Whatever obstacles are in our path for this kind
of change, God can help us overcome.

Maybe we have made a profession of faith but are still feeling restless.
If so, then more than likely there are some things that we have not
surrendered to the Lord. We are still hanging on to some things of
a sinful nature. We may have a ‘pet sin’ that we just can’t seem to
break free from.

When we want a relationship with God on our terms, and not His,
it means we have experienced only a partial ‘new birth’. A partial
relationship with the Lord is not what He wants (nor do we, if we
are honest with ourselves).

We have a choice, don’t we? We can continue living our life that
has a partial fellowship with the Lord, or we can decide to make
a full surrender of our lives to Him; knowing that He will help us
overcome whatever hampers or prevents our relationship with Him.

Which choice have you made? If you haven’t made a choice, then
you’ve really made a choice, haven’t you. We must consciously
‘choose’ to surrender our lives to the Lord. If we don’t, then we
have ‘chosen’ to remain the same.

Remaining the same means our inner spirit has not been satisfied
and we will continue living with a relentless restlessness – the kind
of restlessness that can only be calmed by our loving heavenly Father.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know me better than I know myself. You also
know if I am being dishonest in my relationship with You. Make me
aware of everything that is standing between me and my relationship
with You. Help me to release them so I can experience a complete new
birth and start enjoying a more fulfilling life. Thank you for Your love
and mercy, and for the path You have given me to leave death behind
as I become alive in Christ. I delight in knowing that there is nothing
in my life that is incapable of being changed by Your redemptive power.”

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