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Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Labor Day is coming up and I’m so glad our nation celebrates with a national holiday. A very much needed day to kick back and cookout or whatever you do to relax – Also, it’s so nice to have an extended weekend right after the back to school craziness! A time that seems to be so overwhelming for kids and parents embarking on so many changes; new school or new teachers, new friends and and then those tears from parents as their little or big ones leave the nest; whether it be preschool or college!
Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt overwhelmed by the things of this world? Where life seemed so hard and no matter what you did, things just wouldn’t go right? If you have, then join the club with every other Christian on this planet. We all go through periods like that.
I know that in my life when I try to do everything with my own strength alone it does not turn out well. When you are heavy-laden it is like your spirit, mind, will and emotions can’t function because there is this weight on you that you try to lift by yourself. It causes you to feel down, depressed, anxious, all those negative things that we do not want in life.
So what does God say when we are weary? He will give us rest, and the best thing is it is a deep more than a “day off “ rest, it’s a genuine rest for your soul (your mind, will and emotions).
So how do we find God’s rest? You can’t do it alone. It is not about trying harder, but about BEING more. Being more faithful, being more trusting. As you take those small steps of faith and God comes through for you, you KNOW that you can trust Him in that one thing which gives you the courage to try the next one.
To learn how to rest in God takes time and it is a process. It’s like an onion. You peel through a layer and think that you have made it and learned what God’s rest is, only to find there is another layer for you to discover, learn and enjoy. It’s a lifelong journey that only gets better and better if you let it. Ask God today what is the first, small step for you to find God’s rest and then do what He tells you to do! Then fire up the grill, soak up the Sun and RELAX, because God said to!!!