How Do We Find Rest in a Restless World?

Danielle Heckenkamp contemplates the restlessness of our souls on this earth, and our yearning for perfect union with Christ.

As the world continues to spin and we find ourselves seeking rest, do we understand that true rest can only be found in a perfect union with Christ.   

The Loving Hand of God Amongst Our Faults 

When the hand of God reaches out to our cold hearts, and we find ourselves accepting His graces, it is in a step that leads us to perfect union with the Creator. It is easy to distract ourselves in this earthly life, whether through bodily pleasures, worldly achievements, or gluttonous endeavors that foster our selfish egos.

These self-gratifications don’t take hold of our bodies overnight. It is a slow acceptance to enjoy these pleasures beyond moderation and without recognition of the gratitude we owe to God for the gifts given to us. At first, these small pleasurable choices are unnoticeable sands in time, and we choose to ignore the wasted moments, the imprudence, the increase of vice, and the lack of time spent with God. We find ourselves sleeping later, rather than rising for morning prayer and meditation. Imprudently feeding the body in excess, rather than practicing moderation and mortification.

It is at this point when our will has lessened its influence over the body and we find it easier to give in to temptations and laziness rather than control the fleshly desires. And just when we are about to faceplant, God reaches out His loving hand to bring us safely back to His overflowing heart. The weariness that comes with vice and lack of moderation will only turn to true rest when amend our lives, seek virtues, and overcome our bodily desires so that we may rest in the heart of Jesus Christ. 

God created us as social beings with the ability to enjoy many earthly pleasures before we morph them into vices through imprudence, sensuality, and pride. It would be almost impossible and an extreme injustice to God’s goodness to remove all pleasure from our lives. Most of us were not called to lives of seclusion; we cannot and should not be void of beautiful earthly gifts from God that hold no evil in and of themselves.

Let us think of beautiful antique masterpieces, a delicious meal while socializing with friends, or the pleasure in accepting an award in recognition of one’s talent. If well ordered, all these earthly pleasures claim a sincere place in a virtuous soul. It is when the body distorts these actions that we find ourselves stepping away from virtue and towards vice. The beautiful antique masterpieces become a wealthy individual’s covetous obsession, or the delicious meal is eaten in excess with uncouth conversations, or an individual accepts an award without first recognizing that it is God who gave the talents before they were put to good use. By ignoring our dependence upon God, our bodies move farther from Him while creeping deeper into sin.  

Restlessness on this Earthly Journey 

Many souls have reached the point in their lives when the earthly pleasures no longer satiate and a restless energy occupies one’s thoughts. This is when Christ is reaching out His hand to pull the soul closer. He is seeking union with His creatures, and even though perfect union cannot be obtained until heaven, He desires us to put aside all the disordered pleasures and to follow in His footsteps.

When poured in a bowl, individual grains of sand are no longer insignificant. This can be said of small vices multiplying into larger sins — the disorders multiply into a variety of sins, oftentimes leading from venial to mortal. During this shuffling, struggling, and weariness, the longing of our souls for God overcomes the body’s weak desires, and the true battle towards sainthood begins.  

Our Only Rest is to Rest in Christ 

When we acknowledge our faults and accept God’s graces, we have an opportunity to motivate the body toward virtue and away from disordered pleasures. This is not an easy route, as each soul must recognize its vices, reorder its destructive path, and seek rest in Christ — for the soul does not rest until it rests in Christ. Thankfully, God is very patient with us as we wander along the beaten paths of this life. It is through His guiding hand that we eventually reach a safe harbor, but not without our participation.

We have a choice, and sometimes the choice is not always easy or desirable. Of course, we desire God and His love, but the mountainous path to reach that peak seems overwhelming at times. This is where many of us get stuck. We rely too much on ourselves, rather than on God. But what does that exactly mean? How do we change our perspective to rely on God rather than on ourselves? Well, we must first ask for the graces necessary to proceed on this path. Secondly, we must learn to accept God’s will all for His glory.

This isn’t an easy task, and oftentimes acceptance is learned through suffering. The tumultuous moments that stretch us thin bring us closer to God, especially when those sufferings are offered up. What a tremendous opportunity to find joy in accepting a cross allowed by God for our good. Our cold hearts can no longer remain frigid, because the hand of God is reaching out to bring us safely to His love, but we must accept the help and fully recognize that our souls will never find rest on this earth until they rest in Him. 

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Copyright 2025 Danielle Heckenkamp
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