Finding Rest of Spirit

April 6

Unrest of spirit is a mark of life; one problem after another presents itself and in the solving of them we can find our greatest pleasure. Kal Menninger

This quote puts me in the mind of an old hymn that says, "If we never had a problem, how could we know that Jesus solves them?" Of course, we would prefer not to have problems, but the reality is that they do come and by diligence in prayer, they ultimately come to an acceptable conclusion. Menninger is right in his observation of our great sense of at least accomplishment, if not pleasure, when by God's grace our most perplexing dilemmas are resolved.

Unrest of spirit is perhaps more than an ordinary problem. The day-to-day, run-of-the-mill problems that are encountered regularly are challenges, of course, but righting them requires little from us but the determination to see them through. Although it is challenging to smooth out the rough places that are manifested between and among people of differing points of view and varied perceptions of how to arrive at satisfactory compromise regarding the differences between them, such compromise, such agreements, can be arrived upon when both/all parties truly wish to see resolution.

What is more difficult to tackle is the 'unrest of spirit' of which Menninger speaks, for it comes when one is ill-at-ease within himself, usually because there is an unresolved matter between him and God. This is true because although people matter to a degree, God matters completely—and until a person lays the entirety of his life at the feet of Jesus—warts and all—and allows the Lord to transform him into the blood-bathed, reflection of HIMSELF that HE desires all mankind to become, a person cannot find abiding rest within his spirit.

Once he has attained that rest, however, all other resolutions of difficulties between and among other fallen creatures becomes a simple matter of forgiving as he is forgiven, of loving as he is loved (Ephesians 4:32). When an individual who has fallen from grace forgives and loves himself, thereby re-establishing the spiritual rest that comes with salvation, he is then able to reconstruct the broken down walls of other relationships in his life.

As Augustine said, "Lord, Thou hast made us for Thyself, and we can find no rest till we find rest in Thee!" When we attain that spiritual rest, when we are secure in the cleansing flow of Jesus' blood in our behalf, then we, like that renegade young man Augustine, will be able to find the rest for which our spirits yearn. And from that point forward, we can be whole in our relationships—first with God, then with others—and take pleasure in resting our spirit with them (Proverbs 16:7).