Notifications of new emails and text messages rolling in adding to the backlog of messages that demand a response, a calendar full of business and social events, supporting people who need me, keeping existing customers satisfied while exploring new opportunities to generate income, investing in the spiritual and professional lives of others, a heavy heart for those who are hurting, broken and lost. Managing a household, seeking to maintain a healthy relationship with my God, my wife, and my family, and pursuing personal fitness goals. That was a brain dump of my life. Does yours sound similar?
I labor, I am heavy laden… I NEED REST!
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
How can Jesus give us rest? What does he mean by rest?
A recent burden in my life triggered the need for me to make a choice regarding where I’m going to put my trust, worry, and hope. The problem didn’t actually seem insurmountable for me to tackle myself, but I knew from experience that my way would likely lead to frustration, anxiety, and attempts at knocking on many closed doors before finding the open door – it would have worn me out. About a month ago I said to Amy, “we are going to trust God in this like never before; this problem is now his, not ours… let’s see what he does and look back on this day in awe.” The focus here is not on the end result; God is not a genie granting us everything we want. What I’ve encountered in this journey thus far is peace and rest. As soon as I start to worry, I think about His promises and greatness. Through this journey I’ve encountered:
- Friends who don’t even know of this burden have offered assistance, from seemingly out of nowhere (although I KNOW where!)
- Conversations with new acquaintances have given me peace and great insight.
- Opportunities for me to share this burden and my story on trusting God with those who do not yet proclaim Jesus as their savior.
- Inspiration from Bible Journal; specifically Jillian’s post: The Big Ask
- A greater closeness with God as I read scriptures and prayer.
Have I stumbled? Yes. There have been times when I’ve let myself worry and have attempted to take control because I was impatient. The result: stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, and agitation.
I am writing all of this to you today before the “end result” with the hope that our readers can see that this life is not about immediate resolutions to problems. This is about the journey. I have no idea what God has in store, but I know that he is faithful, he is with us and he will never leave us. This leaves me humbled, thankful, and yes, it gives me rest.