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.
Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)
“Weary and burdened” can certainly describe a busy wife and mother (or grandmother!) juggling the responsibilities of daily life. If you’re old enough to remember Helen Reddy singing, “I am woman, hear me roar,” then you might join with me in rewriting the lyrics:
I am woman…I am tired.
Sometimes we try to fix the weariness — with a vacation, a shopping trip, a chick flick, or a big bowl of ice cream. All those temporary reprieves and indulgences are just that: temporary. They are inadequate attempts to use physical rest solutions to bring soul rest resolution.
Soul rest and physical rest are not the same. The length of our to-do list does not (necessarily) bring soul weariness. It is the continual doing without refueling that depletes the soul.
Our daily coming to Him fills us up so we can continue to pour out. His yoke is easy. His burden brings love, peace, and purpose. He enables us to not just do the laundry, shop for groceries and make the meals, rise early and stay up late, but to do it all with a heart and mind set on bringing Him glory. Our daily coming to Him – our daily choice to worship – is what fuels us to do everything else. We can worship before, and in the midst of, the daily duties and challenges. Because our rest is in Him, the challenges become opportunities, and the duties bring delight. In an uncanny way that can only be attributed to God Almighty, soul rest can be found even in — sometimes especially in — the midst of chaos and full schedules.
Soul rest can be found only in Jesus. He alone provides what we really need and crave. He invites us: Come to me…you will find rest for your souls. If that sounds appealing, but also abstract, here are a few ideas for making it real:
- Make time for Jesus. Decide to get up a little early. Even ten minutes can transform your day. Choosing to worship Him first is a declaration of priority. Making that declaration will color everything else that happens that day.
- Read the Word. The Bible is our daily manna. It is God Himself speaking to us. It brings revelation, encouragement, conviction, and confirmation. It will transform your life. I can say that with confidence, because it has transformed mine.
- Be quiet before Him. Life can become a cacophony of messages, demands, and information. Making room to listen will lead you to be ready: to learn, and to find soul rest.
- Praise Him. We were created for worship. It’s in our spiritual DNA. Lifting our voices to acknowledge Him will simultaneously lift our souls.
- Savor the sacred. Time in His presence will separate out the holy and the eternal from the carnal and the temporary. It distinguishes the yoke we choose to receive from Him from the one the world wants to thrust upon us.
So go ahead and indulge in a little shopping spree. Enjoy a double-dip splurge of chocolate chip. But don’t expect those gratifications to sustain your soul. Only Jesus can do that.
This month’s Write the WORD focus is REST. In this week’s devotional video, Laura looks at truth found in red letters (meaning they are from the lips of our Lord and Savior) in Mark 6:31:
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
We hope you’ll listen in as Laura explores these inspiring words of truth from our Savior:
We invite you to join us in reading, writing, and studying what God’s Word tells us about REST this month. You can find you own copy of our Write the WORD bookmark, along with the optional S.O.A.P. Bible study outline and other helpful resources, on our Downloads page.
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