Psalm 139:23 - Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my restless thoughts.
Having someone tell you to calm down usually has the opposite effect. It amps you up even more. How dare someone else dictate my mood or how I react. It’s like the warning we hear during quarantine: “don’t touch your face.” Every time I hear that my nose itches, and I have never wanted to touch my face more. Maybe I’m just a contrarian.
No matter how you might react when told to calm down, calmness is something we all need to strive for during this unique time in the world. Psalm 139:23 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my restless thoughts.” Make a mental list of the things that caused your restless thoughts pre-quarantine. When you look at your list is there anything there that you would point to as the greatest problem that anyone on Earth has ever faced? Probably not. However, each of our lists will be filled with things that matter to us. The challenge is to not get so wrapped up in our own lists that we forget that everyone else has their own list just like it.
Similarly, we can make a list of things that matter to our hearts. Most of our lives are spent living in the tension between the desires of our hearts and the restlessness of our thoughts. God knows our hearts. God has put a call on our lives to make an impact on this world. Though we may not fix everything in the time we have whatever we do for someone vulnerable, overlooked, or ignored we do for the Lord.
Right now, we are being asked to stay home, and it’s hard. We are heading into week three of this with no real end in sight. The cabin fever is real. Though you love your family very much, they are also getting on your last nerve. The only excursions you have to look forward to are MAYBE a careful walk around the neighborhood. Add to that the normal stress of life and we can be filled to the brim with restless thoughts.
Today do what you can, fight and scrape, wheel and deal, to find 2 minutes for yourself and pray these two verses:
Psalm 139:23 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my restless thoughts.”
Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. God is with you. We can remain calm even when we’re scared, or lonely, or frustrated, or restless. God loves you.”
Socially distant doesn’t mean relationally distant. Reach out to someone.
Now wash your hands and don’t touch your face.