Restlessness is a state of wanting to be somewhere else then where you currently are. Psychological pain (derived from external stimuli) or fear can lead to this unconscious state. It is a lack of control over one’s emotions and their ability to cope with shifts in their environment. These shifts are only recognized when they take on the form of restlessness. Restlessness has no physical boundaries and can strike at any time, even in one’s sleep.
Restlessness, in a spiritual sense of the word, is often considered to be a sign of divine discontentment. This means that when you feel restless, you might have been guided by a divine force to change something about your life or the way you are thinking. There are various types of restlessness. Take your favorite one and look for personal meaning:
Restlessness, a feeling of being uneasy or anxious because of a lack of occupation or excitement; uneasiness. As we settle in with our partners and find ourselves bored at home, some days are harder than others to stay positive. The question becomes is there something you can do to change the way you feel?
Spiritual Meaning Of Being Restless
The spiritual meaning of being restless is that you are meant to move forward in your life. It could be a career move, or a relationship change, or a change in your living situation. It could be something as small as trying out a new restaurant or taking a weekend trip. You may feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions, but this feeling is actually an indication that there is something bigger for you out there waiting to be discovered and explored.
The spirit wants you to know that it is okay to let go of things that no longer serve you. You don’t have to cling on tightly and resist the changes taking place around you, because those changes are happening for a reason. The spirit wants you to trust in yourself enough that when changes do come along, they won’t seem so scary anymore—they will seem inevitable, even welcome!
Restlessness is a spiritual state of being. It means that you are feeling the urge to go out and do something meaningful with your life, but you’re not sure what that means. It’s similar to the feeling of wanting to make a change in your life—you know that something needs to be done, but you don’t have any idea what that is yet.
The best way to deal with restlessness is to ask yourself some questions: What are my goals? What do I want? What have I done so far? How can I improve?
If you can answer those questions, then you’ll be able to figure out what it is that you need to do next. If they’re hard for you to answer, try meditating on them or journaling about them. Or maybe just having a conversation with someone who knows you well and has an opinion on these things would help!
Sometimes you feel restless and you don’t know why. Sometimes you know why you are restless, but you don’t know what to do about it. Then there are other times when you feel uneasy and have a restless spirit even when things are going great.
You might cry out like the psalmist.
“Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)
Restlessness: Definition
To be restless is to be unable to relax. The reason you are restless might be because you are bored or worried about something. Being restless can also mean you are being unsatisfied about the way something is going. In fact, you feel helpless because you want a change, and you can’t do anything about the situation that is pressing on your mind.
There are many different things people do when they are restless.
- They can’t stay still.
- They pace back and forth.
- They tap their feet.
- They sleep.
- Some can’t sleep. Instead, they toss and turn.
- They overeat.
- Some can’t eat.
- They drink alcoholic beverages.
- Some people shop.
- Some go for a walk.
- Some go for a drive.
What you do when you are restless says a lot about you. Let’s see what four people in the Bible did when they were restless.
1. King David
One of the biggest stories about David started when he was restless. According to 2 Samuel 11:1-27, David was not out with his army. Instead, he was on the rooftop in Jerusalem. He saw a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop across from his. He investigated and found out her name was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah who was fighting in the army. David sent for Bathsheba and they had an adulterous affair. She became pregnant with David’s child.
In an attempt to cover up his sin, David sent for Uriah to come home. He hoped he would sleep with his wife so he would think he was the father of the baby. Uriah did come back to Jerusalem, but he thought it was selfish to enjoy the pleasures of home while the other soldiers were in battle. Therefore, he refused to go home to his wife.
When Uriah returned to the battlefield he carried with him a letter from David to Joab with instructions for him to put on the front line when the fighting was the worst. Uriah was killed just as David wanted. David was free to marry Bathsheba, and their baby died on the seventh day. All of this started with David’s misplaced restlessness.
King David
2. King Xerxes
According to Esther 6, one night King Xerxes became restless and couldn’t sleep. He got out of his bed and began to read the chronicles. He came across a section that indicated that Esther’s uncle Mordecai had not been recognized for having done a good deed for him.
The king’s restlessness was the beginning of a plan that honored Mordecai and resulted in the saving of the entire Jewish nation. King Xerxes’ restlessness had positive results, unlike King David’s restlessness.
Pharaoh
3. Pharaoh
Pharaoh’s recurring dreams kept him from getting a good night’s sleep. In the mornings, his mind was troubled because of the dreams he had the night before. Pharaoh’s magicians could not tell him what the dreams meant. That’s when the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph who was in prison at the time. He told Pharaoh about Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams.
After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, he was released from prison and was made the second in command of Egypt (Genesis 41). No one knows what would have happened if Pharaoh hadn’t had a restless night.
4. Nebuchadnezzar
Like the others mentioned, Nebuchadnezzar had restless nights filled with bad dreams during the second year of his reign. His spirit was troubled and he couldn’t sleep. When Daniel interpreted the king’s dream, it was evident why his spirit was restless.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams were fulfilled and he was stricken at the height of his power because of pride. He was eventually driven out of office and lived with the beasts of the field and ate grass like an ox (Daniel 4).
Positive and Negative Results
Of these four examples of restlessness, all of them had different results. Our restlessness could be God’s way of getting our attention to do something.
Our restlessness serves a purpose. What we do with our restlessness depends on our relationship with God.
why do i feel restless in my spirit
We are built for God. We each have a hole in us that only God can fill. When God fills the emptiness within us, our souls are at rest. But when we try to fill that emptiness within us with someone or something else, we feel restless. Our souls might feel disquiet or uneasiness. We might feel like something is off.
The restlessness we feel is often God speaking to us. It’s God’s wake-up call, letting us know that there is something that we need to pay attention to. Perhaps we took a misstep or made a poor choice. Maybe we knocked God out of the center of our lives and are trying to replace God with other things. Perhaps our prayer lives have been neglected.
The restlessness we feel is God inviting us and drawing us back to this: letting God be the One who puts our soul at rest.
When we feel this sort of restlessness within us, we can stop, notice the restlessness, and ask for God’s help in clarifying what it is about. Essentially, when restlessness appears, we need to pause and check our spiritual pulse. We should ask ourselves:
1. How is my prayer life?
2. Am I investing in my faith, my family, my work, and my life? Why or why not?
3. Are there choices I’ve made that led me away from God?
4. What do I feel is missing from my life?
After checking our spiritual pulse and becoming aware of the reasons for our restlessness, with God’s help, we can readjust what is needed and make steps forward to do better. While the restlessness we experience doesn’t always feel good, we can trust that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit working with us to keep us growing in our relationship with God.
how to calm a restless spirit
Best Solutions for Restlessness
It is usually tempting to call family members or friends when you are restless. You can talk to them, and you might forget that you are restless for a short period of time. However, only God knows the root of your restless feelings. Therefore, it is better to turn to Him.
God is the best solution for restlessness. He can give you the reason for your restless spirit and also tell you what to do about it. When you are restless, the best thing you can do is pray and immerse yourself in God’s word.
Most of the time when we experience restlessness, it is because God is trying to get our attention for us to do something just as He did for King Xerxes.
There are many scriptures that will help you when you are restless, but here are two in particular.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
