Finding Rest - Pt 1

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30 ESV).

At one time or another every believer will experience a deep soul weariness. It may appear in different ways and for different reasons. Sometimes we can point to a significant factor, but often we can’t. Our weariness results from the cumulative, multilayered intersections of life’s complexities, bodily frailties, emotional heartbreaks, and the consequences of our own poor choices. It often surpasses understanding. Because our burdens are not simple, they are not relieved by simplistic platitudes. What we will look at in the coming days will not be that. You will not hear me ever espouse the theory that we should merely “cheer up as things are bound to turn around.” Sometimes they don’t get better; however, we have this simple, straight-forward promise from the Lord that can relieve a complex burden. It does require that we believe that the power behind the promise is complex and strong enough to relieve our heaviness. That leads me to say the first “step” in finding rest is to “come to Him.” Sometimes we think this is sitting still, or “waiting.” We think that waiting on the Lord resting is doing nothing. However, this rest that the Bible talks about is an action to do between you and God. It is a partnership that you develop with your creator. It is entering into His rest and casting your burden on Him. Let me be very clear. The simplicity of Jesus’ promise is both striking and refreshing. Jesus doesn’t offer us a four-fold path to peace-giving enlightenment, like the Buddha did. He doesn’t give us five pillars of peace through submission as Islam does. Nor does he give us “10 Ways to Relieve Your Weariness,” which we pragmatic, self-help-oriented 21st century Americans are so drawn to. Unique to anyone else in human history, Jesus simply offers himself as the universal solution to all that burdens us. When Jesus said, “come to me,” he meant, “believe in who I claim to be and therefore what I am able to do for you.” Here is where our burdened souls are tested. We want to rest our souls on the knowledge of how and when our burdensome problems will be addressed. But Jesus does not provide those details. He simply promises us that they will be addressed. He asks that we fundamentally believe that He is enough. Do you?