"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” -Augustine
Redeemer family, I feel confident that I am not alone in my experience with restlessness. In a world where results, production, and achievement are prioritized above all else, it is easy to feel one’s heart become heavy laden with the weight of the responsibilities and pressures of life. Restlessness is an all-too-common hindrance to our walk with Christ.
When I first read Augustine’s quote a couple years back, it felt like something clicked for me. Augustine rightly identifies the source of our restlessness as a lack of abiding in Christ. Apart from Him, life is far to ridden with uncertainty for genuine rest to be found. But in Him, we find peace in the certainty of His sustaining love and faithful promises. I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
The only prerequisite for finding rest in Christ is that we simply come. This is a simple yet beautiful truth of the Christian life. We find rest in Christ by humbly coming before Him and falling into His loving arms. It is in Christ and Christ alone that our restless hearts find the home that they were designed to long for. And it is in Christ and Christ alone that we can enjoy true rest at last, casting the weight of our burdens upon a God who is more the capable of carrying them.
FROM THE STAFF—Colton Lee