“Have I settled for now at my job?” Are all my eggs (self-worth, happiness, feelings of success) in the “now” basket? When we forget the future, we may begin to compete in an unhealthy way with co-workers, forgetting that our worth isn’t at stake in how well we succeed on the job. If work goes poorly, or if work goes away altogether due to a job loss, forgetters of the future will complain and eventually despair. Christian restlessness as we move through our workday changes the way we work. We’re content even when work is frustrating, our boss unfair, and our co-workers annoying.

Whatever else you’re doing today, you’re waiting—waiting for your future with God in glory. But how are you waiting? Paul says Christians “wait eagerly” for the new creation (Romans 8:23). We “groan inwardly” because we’re not there yet. That means being excited but groaning, positive yet dissatisfied, optimistic while restless.

But hold on. Dissatisfied? Restless? Doesn’t the Bible tell us to be content? After all, Paul said: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11).

How does restlessness fit with contentment? Do they fit at all? They must—because one of the great Bible passages on restlessness comes just before Paul’s testimony that he has learned contentment in all circumstances. Paul himself saw no contradiction between feeling restless for the future and content in the present . . . at the same time. Here’s how he spoke of his future resurrection life:

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me . . . one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

What is going on here? How do these things fit together?

What Restlessness Is (and Isn’t)

Restlessness is a passion for our future in the new creation. Restlessness is aligning our identities, thoughts, actions, and goals with that future. Restlessness is the attitude of not settling for now.

Forgetting what lies behind, Paul is “straining toward” what lies ahead. That phrase is drawn from the Greek athletic games. If you’ve ever watched a 100-meter sprint, you know the all-out effort and intense forward-focus Paul describes. When a great sprinter comes racing down the track, leaning to dip for the line, he’s not thinking about how well he came out of the blocks, or what a great first ten meters he ran. Every fiber is focused forward. This is the way Paul lived.

The end of his race is the return of Jesus, final salvation, the resurrection of his body. That’s what Paul strained forward to reach. He sometimes thought of his past (see 1 Corinthians 15:9), but he refused to rest on past accomplishments or wallow in past defeats. His future in the new creation defined and oriented his life. That’s what he meant by saying he does “one thing.” Of course he doesn’t stop working, eating, reading, praying, preaching, laughing, and so on. “One thing” means the North Star orienting his present is his future. Paul undertook daily tasks with a view to accomplishing his aim of reaching the finish line.

In other words, Paul didn’t settle for now. Paul lived in the present, but he didn’t live for the present. He worked hard in the present, but he lived for the future.

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