Unsettled Strength
/
“But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” I Peter 5:10 NKJV
“That felt unsettling.” “Settle down.” “I’m settled in my chair and don’t want to move.” “My stomach is a little unsettled.” “The ground settled there.” “The phone call left me unsettled.” “The news was unsettling.” I have said some of these statements and heard the rest of them recently. One of my clients told me, “My life feels so unsettled now.” Her loss made her life so different. Her heart ached, and she did not believe she could live without her companion.
To feel unsettled reflects a lack of stability with no purpose. The feelings of being anxious and worried intensify this unsettling feeling. Life does not feel right, nor does it feel familiar or comfortable. Something is missing or wrong.
I, too, have felt unsettled in life. Each time I have moved into a new house, it takes a while to unpack and settle into the place to make it my own. When I have changed jobs and churches, it takes time to create a routine, find my place, discern my purpose, and establish relationships.
There is again an unsettling within my soul. When these feelings come, I begin to observe what is going on around me. It was unsettling when my husband, Dave died. Life changed, and I was no longer the same. I have never returned to who I used to be. I have found a different life, and I view life from a different perspective.
Now there is another unsettling as life brings the next season of life. When doors close in life, it is being patient with the next step. Oh, I admit I have jumped quickly and made decisions I now regret. I try not to live with this regret, but I focus on forgiveness and what I learned from the decision and move forward. We cannot change the past, just learn from it.
The unsettling within tells me it is time to do something different. When we try to keep the same life and routine, we feel empty. It confirms that it is time to go in a different direction. God can use us anywhere and with anyone. Sometimes experiences, places and people run their course.
When my relationship with God feels unsettling, I know it is me who has moved. It happens when the things of the world and other people’s opinions and views matter more than God’s. That is when I feel an emptiness and struggle, and I need to crawl into my Heavenly Father’s lap and spend quiet time just being renewed in the silence of God’s presence. Sunshine helps me to feel God’s Presence.
In this unsettling feeling, I recognize disappointments with those who have not met my expectations and situations that are no longer satisfying. No amount of work or trying to do the same thing over and over again will help. It just affirms that the doors are closed. It is time to dream bigger God dreams.
So what do we do with all these unsettling feelings? How do we settle our souls? I turn to Jesus. There is strength in these unsettled feelings because I recognize my own weakness. I cannot do life alone. When I am tired and weak, I need to depend on God’s strength. God created these feelings within me so I would depend on Him. God will restore and keep me from falling. When the turmoil begins in our souls, we are probably trying to fix everything by ourselves. We keep doing the same thing expecting different results. God allows this discontentment within us so that we will depend on His guidance. God has great plans for our lives. Don’t settle for the little plans you try to do on your own.
Trust Jesus when you feel unsettled. Take a step of faith. Let go. Allow God to strengthen you. God will settle your soul as you curl up on His lap of love and grace.
My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -
My Books – Living In The Different and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/
