"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11: 28-30.
Lots of our lives tend to be hectic. Rushing around from place to place. Doesn't matter if it is work-related or our personal lives. We tend to be always on the move. Putting in long hours at work, rushing home for dinner, and get household chores done. If you have children, there is the added homework, school events, and extracurricular activities to add to one's schedule. It is fairly certain, that for a lot of us, 24 hours in a day may be too few hours.
Because of this, our lives become rushed. Getting from place to place makes us impatient. We become frustrated with obstacles that keep us from our schedule. This could lead to anger and bitterness and place stresses on the physical side of life. We become slaves to our timetables.
Even when we do get to rest, its not truly rest. We worry about things to do or how the prior day went. This makes for troubled sleep, where the body doesn't rest. We wake up the next morning, feeling more fatigued than when we started. Frankly, our lifestyles might make it difficult for us to rest. Even taking vacations, you worry about the planning of them and the work awaiting you when you get back. Not a time to rest, and not a very peaceful existence to have.
Resting, though, is necessary for us to have healthy lives. If we do not have down time to relax, the body gets so wound up, it can snap. Emotions become volatile and people can get hurt emotionally and physically. It becomes an existence that is merely survived. Not one where a person can thrive. Even times of quiet can be inadequate as people will be thrown off without the background noise and chaos. Becoming restless when doing nothing. Feeling like you need to be super active, to even your own physical detriment, to feel like you are not wasting your day or doing something worthwhile.
Jesus knew this. That a life like this would lead to weariness and stress. This would lead to breakdowns and shattered lives. He calls us to rest in Him. That He gives us rest. He lies us down near still waters. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
A yoke is a bar or frame of wood by which two oxen are joined at the hands or necks for working together. These were used especially for plowing large fields. Not very easy work and you need the oxen to work together to make it work. Doesn't seem all that pleasant. Yet, Jesus is saying his yoke is easy and the burden light. It doesn't make sense to say a yoke is easy or that a burden is light. When you think of burden, your thoughts don't immediately say light.
But, Jesus is doing the work. When we are in step together with Him (as anything yoked together would have to do) the task is made simpler. We will find times to rest. That's what Jesus calls us to. Come to me and get rest. Not a bad option in this day and age.
Getting adequate rest is essential to a fulfilling life. Eventually, we would all burn out, physically and emotionally, if we went without rest. Our bodies are built to get rest even when we refuse. Try to go without sleep for a long time and the body, at some point, will tire to the point where you cannot stop from sleeping. If only, we could shut it off the same way mentally and spiritually. Well, spiritually we can rest in Jesus.
Once rested, we can be more effective in our daily lives. Whether that be work or in ministries. The worst thing is to burn out and left bitter from the experience. It takes a toll on one physically or one can turn elsewhere to try and keep going. Medications and alcohol or both can be misused in ways to circumvent rest.
That's not God's plan for us. To burn out in life. That's not the life called for us. To be consumed with activities until our lives become ash. God provides the solution. He calls us to times of rest and resting in Him. He will provide it and the energies that we need. He calls us to thrive in Him and not to just survive this life. Enjoy your rest.
Lots of our lives tend to be hectic. Rushing around from place to place. Doesn't matter if it is work-related or our personal lives. We tend to be always on the move. Putting in long hours at work, rushing home for dinner, and get household chores done. If you have children, there is the added homework, school events, and extracurricular activities to add to one's schedule. It is fairly certain, that for a lot of us, 24 hours in a day may be too few hours.
Because of this, our lives become rushed. Getting from place to place makes us impatient. We become frustrated with obstacles that keep us from our schedule. This could lead to anger and bitterness and place stresses on the physical side of life. We become slaves to our timetables.
Even when we do get to rest, its not truly rest. We worry about things to do or how the prior day went. This makes for troubled sleep, where the body doesn't rest. We wake up the next morning, feeling more fatigued than when we started. Frankly, our lifestyles might make it difficult for us to rest. Even taking vacations, you worry about the planning of them and the work awaiting you when you get back. Not a time to rest, and not a very peaceful existence to have.
Resting, though, is necessary for us to have healthy lives. If we do not have down time to relax, the body gets so wound up, it can snap. Emotions become volatile and people can get hurt emotionally and physically. It becomes an existence that is merely survived. Not one where a person can thrive. Even times of quiet can be inadequate as people will be thrown off without the background noise and chaos. Becoming restless when doing nothing. Feeling like you need to be super active, to even your own physical detriment, to feel like you are not wasting your day or doing something worthwhile.
Jesus knew this. That a life like this would lead to weariness and stress. This would lead to breakdowns and shattered lives. He calls us to rest in Him. That He gives us rest. He lies us down near still waters. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
A yoke is a bar or frame of wood by which two oxen are joined at the hands or necks for working together. These were used especially for plowing large fields. Not very easy work and you need the oxen to work together to make it work. Doesn't seem all that pleasant. Yet, Jesus is saying his yoke is easy and the burden light. It doesn't make sense to say a yoke is easy or that a burden is light. When you think of burden, your thoughts don't immediately say light.
But, Jesus is doing the work. When we are in step together with Him (as anything yoked together would have to do) the task is made simpler. We will find times to rest. That's what Jesus calls us to. Come to me and get rest. Not a bad option in this day and age.
Getting adequate rest is essential to a fulfilling life. Eventually, we would all burn out, physically and emotionally, if we went without rest. Our bodies are built to get rest even when we refuse. Try to go without sleep for a long time and the body, at some point, will tire to the point where you cannot stop from sleeping. If only, we could shut it off the same way mentally and spiritually. Well, spiritually we can rest in Jesus.
Once rested, we can be more effective in our daily lives. Whether that be work or in ministries. The worst thing is to burn out and left bitter from the experience. It takes a toll on one physically or one can turn elsewhere to try and keep going. Medications and alcohol or both can be misused in ways to circumvent rest.
That's not God's plan for us. To burn out in life. That's not the life called for us. To be consumed with activities until our lives become ash. God provides the solution. He calls us to times of rest and resting in Him. He will provide it and the energies that we need. He calls us to thrive in Him and not to just survive this life. Enjoy your rest.
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