"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laben, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying a relationship. Jesus said that a relationship with Him woiuld bring rest to your soul. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life.
Hard work or lack of sleep can make you tired. This fatigue can usually be remedied by a good rest. But there is a deeper fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness. There is an emotional exhaustion that comes from experiencing heavy burdens and draining crises. There is a tiredness deep within your soul that comes from carrying the weight of the needs of others. You can go on a vacation, but your soul will not be restored. This condition can only be rectified by finding rest in Christ.
Some zealous Christians want to do all they can to serve Christ, and they exhaust themselves in the process. It was to these that Jesus extended His invitation to go to Him and learn from Him. Jesus spent most of His earthly ministry surrounded by needy multitudes, can you imagine what that could have been like? He faced relentless opposition, He often prayed throughout the night, and He rarely had any privacy; yet He always received the rest and the strength that came from His Father. It was not that Jesus did not work hard but that He knew the path to spiritual rest. Are you weary? Go to Jesus and let Him give you His rest. His rest will restore your soul as nothing else can.
As we come upon the season of the birth of our Lord, the secular world has us running around doing things. That is exhausting, for the mind and the body and just as importantly the soul. This holiday season, I encourage you to find rest in our Lord. Find a time to just rest in him. If you have to plan it do it. When you have had some time of rest in the Lord, post the comment here so that others can be encouraged by the rest that our Lord has given you.
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions” - Rev. Richard Mickelson - friend and brother in Christ and Rainer Maria Rilke (German poet)
2 comments:
It's true that the month of December is crazy as we plan, decorate, shop, bake, etc.! I'm inspired by your blog to take time with my kiddos this month to cuddle on the couch with Christmas stories and songs each day!
I have found myself in this position more often recently, and even struggled a bit with the idea of this trip changing from a business trip to a full on vacation - not only do I need a rest (both spiritually and physically) but I so easily find myself pulled into the traps of the world taking on more and more. It becomes hard to force myself to get that needed rest. Thanks for the reminder!
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