Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28
“I’m just so busy!” Maybe you have found yourself saying that. With all of the gadgets intended to make life easier, they have not made it any less hectic. You busy yourself checking and rechecking your phone or watch every few minutes, to the point where other things miss your attention. Maybe you seek out information on your computer that you never really knew you needed. But you don’t take the time to read—you just scroll through. From dawn until late in the dark, you move at an unsustainable pace, and, guess what, you are tired! Even your sleep is restless if you are even able to still your mind from all that needs to be done tomorrow!
Don’t be discouraged. Jesus has an invitation for you: “Come to me and rest.” As with most invitations, He desires a response from you. Are you too busy to rest with Jesus? Do you say, “Thanks for the invite, Jesus, maybe in a day or two,” or maybe you say, “I can spare ten minutes, then I have to get busy?” Or perhaps your excuse is something like, “I am just so exhausted, I wouldn’t be very good company.” The Lord has probably heard every excuse. But when you struggle with stress and anxiety, rest is what you really need.
What should you do? Breathe. Slow down. Turn things off. Unplug. Observe a true time of rest. God initiated a Sabbath, which is observed less and less these days. He knows you and your frame, how you are made, and what your body needs. Rearrange your schedule to read your Bible, pray, and shut things down to rest in a time of reflection on Jesus.
His invitation is always open. The enemy will try to rob you, so be aware. Jesus still says, “Come.”
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