unquiet or uneasy, perpetually agitated or in motion, unceasingly active, averse to quiet or inaction.

It has been what seems a perpetual state for me for years. Striving to maintain some arbitrary level of activity that is “necessary” to accomplish my goals or fulfill obligations.

In business, having deadlines, milestones, and project plans are the common way of life. The tyranny of endless todos, coupled with the need to accomplish something, anything, leads to discontentment and frustration which can crush the spirit.

So many times in our life in the institutional church we became over committed to “the ministry” and it was to the detriment of our family life and the witness to our children. It was fueled by that sense of urgency to “accomplish something great for the kingdom”

Solomon said it best, “vanity of vanities” pouring out one’s life in pursuit of some goal but never arriving and never reaching that moment of true rest. Sure you collapse at the end of the day or when the project is declared complete. But the next objective is always laid out in our restless minds to consume us again.

The Kingdom of God is not about striving to earn our way into God’s good graces. It is about coming to the realization that Jesus accomplished our redemption and our job simply is to rest in His glorious grace.

So peace and rest be with you and lay aside the restlessness of our own making..