Feb 3rd, 2021: Overcome Restlessness and Anxiousness
I had a conversation with a banker friend, and she told me that working from home starts getting old. She is itchy getting back to work in the office. She needs social interaction and contact with others. She feels restless. It could be that things have not been as busy as it used to be for her.
In the Bible, there is some writing about being restless and anxious about life.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its trouble." - Matthew 6: 33-34
We become restless because we are bored, unsettled, and need to search for something new. What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God during this time?
Be aware of our preoccupation and concerns about this life. If we spend too much time worrying about what our government would do, how the vaccination plan is working out, and when we can travel again, we will face a lot more anxiety because we have no control over them. Learn to release our need to be in control is part of seeking first the Kingdom of God.
Pay attention to our prayer life if we have one. Sometimes we stop praying altogether when we are overwhelmed. We know that we need to pray, and yet it is hard to be with God alone. We feel as if we need to do something when there is almost nothing we can do practically. We can complain and be critical about things, but that does not help. If doing daily exercise is essential to our physical and mental health at this time, daily prayer time will be helpful in our spiritual health.
Make a conscious decision about caring for others. It is not a bad idea to take ourselves out of the center of our concerns. Spending time caring for others might alleviate some of our stress about not knowing and not being in control. Hope sometimes is the outcome of compassion. When we learn how to walk with others, we discover how God is walking with us.
