Rest For Your Souls

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

Sometimes (far too often) we get caught up in the troubles of this world. We know our hearts should be light and our demeanor optimistic. But, as we face the challenges that come our way, we often feel overwhelmed and we lose heart. When we feel this way, chances are, we have taken too much upon ourselves. But, I’m not talking about being too busy or doing too many things here. What I am referring to is trying to do too much on our own and in our own strength. And, when our strength fails, we find ourselves discouraged, stressed out, and even burnt out. It’s a dangerous place to be.

When Paul was dealing with his own weakness, God had a message for him; "… My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a) If we are honest with ourselves and with God, there are times we need to come to Him and say, “I’ve got nothing left … I’ve done what I can, but there’s so much more to do. I’ll keep pressing on, but Lord, please help me.” And, you know what … He does help. When we humble ourselves and ask God to step in and empower us, there is often reason to be amazed and praise God for what He has done.

So, to those who are “weary and heavy laden”, I remind you to come to Christ and you will find rest … rest for your souls. The more weary and heavy laden we feel, the more time we need to spend on our knees with the Savior. When we confess our need and ask Him for help, we find that He’s already been helping. In that realization alone, we quickly find rest … and the ability to press on and press forward.

In His grip,
Pastor Decker