The Goodness of Holy Restlessness

"...to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone."—Oswald Chambers

There could be nothing really wrong, but deep down you feel something's still off. A restlessness that's not quite restlessness, yet nothing fully satisfies—not even a long-procastinated thing crossed off the "to do" list, or a favorite hiking spot, or even one more cup of really good coffee. Nothing on TV holds your attention (perhaps for good reason), no book on the shelf jumps out at you and says "read me!", and even most of the really good songs in your iTune library just seem to roll into one ear and out the other. You are not really bored or depressed, and yet you recognize the strange symptoms all too well because they keep occurring with more frequency—especially as the days and times grow more uncertain.

It may very well be that you are being afflicted, in a very good way, with what Chambers is talking about. To be "absolutely" and "entirely" all-in in this Walk is not a desire to escape reality but to dig in, really dig in, with deeper roots of knowing Christ and not just knowing information about Him, of loving Christ, of serving, and living to the full, and all with the kind of roots that will both withstand storms of bad headlines and the flood of challenges to what is True, as well as the supernatural kind of roots that will offer naturally supernatural nourishment to those on our daily path...

You are not crazy. You are not alone...

...In fact, it is exactly the timeless encouragement Jesus is giving to His Church through the apostle Paul ....

"May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self—indwelling your innermost being and personality—

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith.

And may you, having been deeply rooted and securely grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all God’s people the width and length and height and depth of His love—

fully experiencing that amazing, endless love; 

And that you may come to know practically, through personal experience the love of Christ which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience, that you may be filled up throughout your being to all the fullness of God so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives—completely filled and flooded with God Himself."

(Ephesians 3:16-19, Amplified)

As rain poured outside yesterday and drenched the New England landscape (again), I received a "hey, check this out" text from a good friend about our desperate need for the Holy Spirit in our day. He passed along a quote by Bill Johnson from Face to Face with God: "The outpouring of the Spirit really is the Bible's cure-all. It's not that there aren't things we are supposed to do in the natural; it's just that in the end we need more of Him than anything else. And He comes like rain—in heavenly downpours!"

I texted back: "So true. I'm feeling it. And personally, I want it be so much more than talk or a head nod of 'yes, I agree with that.'"

But how? This morning, this guiding light "just so happened" to emerge while randomly looking through an old journal entry...

"When you are drawn to a deeper walk with God, it is wise not to have an agenda. Sometimes, it's best to simply tell Him that you have come, and whatever His plan is for you, it is fine with you. Be flexible, hang on, and watch what He does."
—Steve Brown, Approaching God

I think it's just what Jesus would tell us, too. And in fact, He really did...

"Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think—infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams—according to His power that is at work within us,  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen."

(Ephesians 3:20, Amplified)

Remembering to Change the Atmosphere

"Taking the child’s hand, He said tenderly to her, 'Talitha kum!'—which translated [from Aramaic] means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”  The little girl immediately got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they who witnessed the child’s resurrection were overcome with great wonder and utter amazement."—Mark 5:41-42, Amplified

Even before His own history-changing story, Jesus seemed to be about resurrecting things and situations, and little children and even one of His best earthly friends. “I have come that they might have life…”  is more than a Gospel proclamation, it is what seemed to actually happen every time Jesus walked onto the scene.

But something else is happening in this story. Where there is death, and darkness, and a seemingly hopeless situation, Jesus, in so many words, tells the atmosphere to leave. He sends the mourning friends who are focused on the negative out the door, and fills the void with the incomparable goodness of Himself…

"When You walk into the room, everything changes

Darkness starts to tremble at the hope that You bring…

When You walk into the room, sickness starts to vanish

And every hopeless situation ceases to exist…" 

More than a beautiful story of hope in a hopeless situation, Jesus’ raising of Jairus’ daughter gives insight—with fanfare accompaniment—into how we should pray about and how we should look at and speak to the dark situations of our own life and the world around us.

It seems to be an unfair indictment when others think our faith is more about what we are against than what we are for. After all, in our minds and hearts, we genuinely see and believe Jesus to be nothing but “yes and amen.” But sometimes, our prayer circles and social media postings and water cooler conversations can prove their point….

Not long ago, I was in a room where much good and fervent prayer was going on. Kingdom-bringing stuff. On earth as it is in heaven. But then, the momentum seemed to halt and I sensed an unexplained heaviness. There was much earnest praying against some prominent strongholds and evil things in our community, so maybe that explained it…until as I was listening to it continue, and even wanting to pile on with my own against-it agreement, there was this sense deep within:

“It’s good to come against what is dark and evil, but don’t forget to ask Me to fill the void. Remember, when I come into a person or situation, Love covers a multitude of sins.”

Last night, I was again in a room where much good and fervent Kingdom-bringing, on-earth-as-it-is-heaven prayer was going on. The fervency was not loud but the weight was tangible. And as before, there was much earnest praying against some prominent strongholds and evil things in the community and in people's lives. But then one person, and then another, turned the tables: “Jesus, we know You are the answer to what seems impossible, so we welcome You to come and do what only You can do and be.”

And Jairus’ daughter was raised again, so to speak. Because in the worship that followed, even in an atmosphere where homelessness and addiction were as real as your breath on a cold morning, resurrection hope was everywhere.  Seemingly impossible prayers were being answered. Broken bodies (and hearts) were being healed. Joy began to overwhelm sadness and loneliness.

“It seems to me," writes author Max Lucado, "that the prayers of the Bible can be distilled into one. The result is a simple, easy-to-remember, pocket-sized prayer: Father, you are good. I need help. They need help. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen. Let this prayer punctuate your day.”

So be it, Lord, this Sunday morning and all the days to come this week.

"When You walk into the room, the dead begin to rise

There’s resurrection life in all You do…"

- words and music by Brian and Katie Torwalt