Some times we can be so familiar with the words, we skim over them. Or at least I can some days.
So recently, I read the words in the Amplified:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest, relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
We often think the way to ward off or fight anxiety is to do more. But Jesus is telling us the very opposite.
We need to do less and depend on God more.
Jesus extends to each of us an invitation to come to Him. To unburden ourselves on Him.
In reading the Amplified version above, a few words stood out.
We over-burden ourselves with our to do lists, with our planners, filling our days with activities.
We are over-burdened people. Over-burdened with activity, with worry, and with our desire to fix everything.
It is only as we depend on Jesus that we will find relief, refreshment, and rest.
If I can be completely honest, I needed these words at this time. All that is transpiring in our country, and in our world, is concerning and unsettling at times. The contention, anger, and divisiveness is troubling.
There are some practical ways to take on the yoke of Christ, to give Him the burden.
The one practical way I am trying to put into practice each day is to pray immediately when I feel over-burdened. To stop and pray before I do anything else.
“Will you continue to carry the heavy burdens that you were never meant to carry? Or will you joyfully take on Christ’s yoke and light burden.”
(from It is Well by The Daily Grace Co., page 88)
Let’s aim to let go.
Give the burdens to the Lord and
may He give us rest, relief, and refreshment!
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
A great post Joanne so needed at this time.
Blessings, Jennifer
This is something we need continual reminders of. You would think that coming to Jesus for rest would make us inclined to do so regularly. But we’re so forgetful and so prone to get overburdened. I’m thankful for His loving and patient invitation.
I do it all the time—lugging around burdens I was never designed to carry. Thank you for the reminder I need on the regular!
Joanne, that “desire to fix everything” is a heavy burden indeed! I love your suggestion to stop and pray immediately. I need to do that more often. Much love to you today!
Thank you, Joanne for this invitation to rest. We can become so burdened at times, we struggle to even move closer to Christ for consolation, how we need the reminder that He is ever near and promises to refresh and restore our burdened souls!
Joanne, He is kind to openly invite us to Himself. In Him, we find rest and refreshment.
“We often think the way to ward off or fight anxiety is to do more. But Jesus is telling us the very opposite.” That’s so true. I remember Chuck Swindoll saying man is the only animal that runs faster when he doesn’t know where he’s going.