Every leader experiences restlessness at certain times in their leadership journey. If you’re like me, restlessness lasts for a while; it settles in and becomes a season I go through.

Restless seasons can be unsettling, and have the ability to become confusing and jarring for leaders. They affect our decision making, and can direct the path of our families and our futures. They can also serve as incredible times of growth that lead to clarity if we walk closely with God during seasons of restlessness.

Trusting God is easy to say and hard to do.

There are multiple sources of restlessness for a leader. One of the biggest is the looming transition from one role or location to another. But restlessness usually stems from frustration over circumstances, disappointment over failures or regret over missed expectations. Maybe the restlessness comes from the lingering effects of loss, or the anxious prospect of gain. Whatever the source, it always presents itself with the same feeling: unsettled. 

Have You Ever Been There?
In seasons of restlessness we need wisdom from others who have been there and experienced what we are going through to give us perspective as we process, pray and proceed. King David gives us just that in Psalm 37 as he reflects on his own leadership journey. His words give us insight for turning seasons of restlessness into seasons of growth and clarity.

^“Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:1–7). 

It’s almost like he knows what we’re dealing with as he repeats “do not fret.” Basically, don’t worry and don’t be anxious, even though there may in fact be good reason to do both. David knows the pain of loss, the fear of failure and the prospect of danger, and he still has the determination to cast worry aside. Let’s dive deep into this psalm and pick out five reactions to restlessness that will guide your leadership.

1) Trust in the Lord (verse 3). Trusting God is easy to say and hard to do. David suggests that an active trust instead of a passive faith is the key to moving ahead. His advice is to “dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” That means you’re moving into something great, not moving from one thing to the next without roots.

In the Old Testament, the “land” was the place of God’s protection and provision. When Israel was obedient and trusting, the land produced and provided for them. When they weren’t, there was famine and hardship. When David says “dwell in the land,” he is reminding us to remain faithful to God in spite of circumstances. Look back at the times God took care of you when you thought the road was too hard. Take comfort in His presence, and do good. This is how David defines trusting God’s timing and provision for our life.

2) Delight in the Lord (verse 4). As a father, I love to give gifts to my kids. It brings me great joy! I love seeing how happy and “delighted” my kids get when they open up a surprise present. It would break my heart if I gave them good gifts but they had zero reaction. It would be worse if they complained!

That’s how we act at times during confusing or restless seasons. Our Father has given us good gifts. David says to delight in your Father and His love! When David looked back at the hard times, he realized it was for his own good. And that was a pure delight. At the end, David could see that God ultimately gave him the desires of his heart. What gift from God, what desire of your heart that He has granted have you overlooked and failed to delight in?

3) Commit your way to the Lord (verse 5). Committing our way to the Lord is a dogged determination that we will not be moved. We will hold tightly to the call, obey the last thing He told us to do and leave the results up to Him. It means staking a claim on your future and never, ever giving up.

During restless seasons, it’s easy to hold back, ask lots of questions and wonder whether we’re sowing in the right places. We wait until things are clearer to give our whole heart to an assignment or season. It’s easier to go all in on something we think is a sure bet. But David reminds us to commit in the season we’re in, giving our whole heart to the task in front of us rather than waiting for the sure thing to come along.

4) Be still before the Lord (verse 7). I don’t know about you, but these last two steps are extremely hard for me. I’m a lot of things, but still is usually not one of them. Yet that’s exactly what I expect from my boys, whether it’s while I’m helping them with homework or coaching them on the ball field. If they don’t get still, they’ll miss what I’m trying to teach them.

For me, any action is better than no action. But that’s hardly biblical leadership. Time and again, the Father tells us to be still. Sometimes we think the best solution to restlessness is to get up and move! We may leapfrog clarity in order to spur on a result — any result. However, God says to wait and embrace the restless season. If we fail to sit still, we may miss the lesson.

5) Wait patiently for the Lord (verse 7). Isaiah put it like this: Those who “wait” on the lord will renew their strength. Jesus told His disciples to go to Jerusalem and “wait” for Him after the resurrection. Waiting assumes we are already still. But waiting also means that we train our eyes on God.

Waiting brings strength, power and clarity for the task ahead. The worst thing you can do during a restless season is move without God’s approval. You may think you have the resources available and a clear plan. But if you move before God says, “Go,” you may fall flat on your face. He knows better what’s right ahead, and waiting on Him allows us to tap into His reserves, not our own.

I’ve been through more than one restless season. Sometimes I almost stayed when I was supposed to go. Other times, I almost went when I was supposed to stay. I’ve learned from those seasons, and I affirm the wisdom of David. There will no doubt be future seasons of restlessness that serve to prepare me for what’s next should I allow God to deal with me. If you’re in one now, I encourage you to trust in God, delight in Him, commit your way, be still and wait.