THE WEARY HEART

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28 

We are a weary people.  The frantic pace of life wears us down and we find ourselves stressed, overworked and sleep deprived. Can you relate? Why are we running like this? Friends, can we stop long enough to hear Jesus calling and look to him for the rest that he offers our weary bodies and hearts?

Our hearts become weary when we see ourselves through the warped mirrors of performance and others’ expectations of us. Perhaps our fear of rejection pushes us to try to produce and accomplish things that we think will make us acceptable in other people’s eyes. So we work harder and push ourselves more.

But our self-worth does not come from what others think of us. The only person who has the right to define our worth is our creator.  He desires for us to see ourselves the same way he views us—as having our identity in Christ rather than from what we accomplish or from others’ opinions. 

And there is hope in Jesus! When we come to faith in Christ, as Ephesians 1:3-14 tells us, we have been chosen by God. The Father not only wants us and sees us as valuable but also has adopted us. In addition, he has redeemed us, purchased us with the blood of Jesus and forgiven us, and he has sealed us with his Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future life with him. God walks with us in this life and is now in heaven preparing the place where we will be with him forever. Encourage your weary hearts with these truths!

The Father extends an invitation to all of us to find real rest in him. This is more than ceasing activity, watching television or scrolling endlessly on our phones. There is a difference between godly rest and human relaxation. God calls us to embrace Sabbath with him, a time to cease working and rest in God’s care for us.  Sabbath may look like corporate worship, time away with God in solitude and silence, celebration with friends or reading and praying, being renewed in his presence. What Sabbath activities bring life to you and nurture your soul?

King David understood the source of rest as he wrote, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm 62:1). God is our rest. As we come to him, lay our burdens down, quiet ourselves and trust in him, we will find rest for our weary hearts.

Reflection Questions:

1.    As you reflect with God, what wrong thinking are you believing that is causing you to become weary?

2.    When you are exhausted, what are the ways that you seek rest?

3.    What have you found that refreshes your soul and mind?

G     Guest contributor: Lisa Hall 
Published with permission from the Women of Hope ministry. For more information, please visit their website   https://www.twrwomenofhope.org/