Everyone I know is tired - and not the “just need one good night sleep to recover” kind of tired, but something deeper. The world has plenty to say about rest: just do more of what you like, and less of what you don’t.
But this cycle of pleasure seeking is never-ending, and does little more than offer a temporary high. It does nothing to relieve our weary souls.
Enter the calm clarity of Jesus.
“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)
This is likely the most famous “rest” passage, and one I often turn to when I am feeling worn out.
Yet, there is a subtlety to these verses that is easily overlooked.
Jesus says something stunning. He says, “Take my yoke….and you will find rest...” Typically, when I think of rest, I think of being inactive. If I could just do less, then I’d recover.
But that’s not what this passage is saying. There is nothing inactive about a yoke - it involves work, hard work. Jesus follows this up by saying “My burden is light.” He doesn’t say He will remove the burden, but instead He says, “My burden is light.”
God created us for work. He modeled this by working for six days before resting for one. Our problem is not only that we work too much; our problem is that we are working for the wrong things, in the wrong way.
The kind of soul fulfilling work God calls you and me to is for His glory, and through His strength.
Doing things God’s way will still require rest, and sabbath is very important, but it will result in a different kind of tiredness - the deeply satisfying kind.
God’s plan for our lives is better in every way, and this includes His design for rest. If you’re tired, the question isn’t, “How can I work less?” but rather, “What is the work God would have me do?”
Do that, and you will find rest!