At the End of my Rope: Find Rest in Him
When I planned the year of peace, I had a good idea of what the topics would be and even had most of the year planned out, but nothing for August. I had ‘busyness’ on my list of topics for the year but hadn’t picked it up to address in the context of peace. But as the summer wore on and as the quarantine time has dragged on (yes, where I live, we are still under stay-at-home orders), the burden has also increased. I have my to-do list and I push myself through it every week, sometimes pushing through the day as well. And I couldn’t ignore this need for rest any longer. But God also wouldn’t let me just dive in to talking about His rest. I think I needed to hear the lesson connecting hurry and fruit of the Spirit, connecting to-do lists with do it well. And that still does not satisfy the need to explore rest. See, rest in the Lord is not letting go of everything. Rest in the Lord is finding the strength and restoration in Him to carry on. Don’t get me wrong, there is a season for rest, and it is intentionally a part of our day (well, night) and a part of our rhythms. But there should not be a burnout, there should be a choice to fill ourselves with Him.
Step aside, let God work
The Message version of Matthew 5:3 says, ‘You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.’ The more standard NIV version says the ‘poor in spirit’ which we can look at in the Greek, ‘poor’ means bent over and lacking. Yes, when I am no longer able to give and feel like I am wrung out, I do feel like I have the burden of my to-do list, just so I can drop into bed at night and get up the next day to it again. Instead this verse says ‘theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ It doesn’t say that we can throw ourselves into bed and get up two days later ready to fight through the next to-do list; it says God can work. When we are empty of ourselves, then Jesus can fill us up.
He will give us rest
Matthew 11:28-30 is perhaps the most-embraced verse when we are worn out, ‘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.’ This verse says much the same, but perhaps with more guidance. It is easy to embrace the ‘I am tired, and He will give me rest’. But perhaps there is more wisdom to be gained from these words. The verse begins with come. We have a choice to make, to turn inward to try to replenish our own reserves or to go to Jesus. ‘Come to Me,’ He says, ‘take my yoke.’ The yoke is used in physical labor, so this rest must be of a kind that is different from the sleep kind.
The yoke is used to team up the animals, they work better and more efficiently when working together. The yoke itself also makes the load easier to carry. Using a yoke means that two pull together as one. That would already lighten the burden by half. He says to take his yoke; his yoke is light. His yoke is to live as He has instructed, to know Him and live as He lived. The yoke is made for us, he knows how to work together with us to pull, but each yoke is our own. Each yoke must be fashioned for that team. So, when we come to Him, we take the yoke that He fashioned for us, for our burden, and He carries it with us. We learn the lessons that He has planned for us, he carries us through healing and storms, all the while working with us.
Come to me
The first part is difficult, coming to Him. When we look at our to-do list and the hurrying that our brains are conditioned for, it is a challenge. But we have to look beyond the list and start with time in his presence, where he will give us rest. Even on my fullest days, if I have started by giving time to the Lord, I have checked off everything on the list. The time that we set aside for Him is not wasted, nor does it diminish the time for other things, even sleeping.
If you are weary today, spend time with him. Here are a few ideas for a one-hour refresh with Him. Are you not ready for an hour? Start with 15 minutes.
1 – Music. Turn on your favorite worship playlist and let yourself enjoy the time with Him. Listen to the words and let them minister to you, talk to you about His character, what He does for you, and how He has conquered the world and your problems.
2 – Nature. Head out to your favorite park or walking trail and spend time appreciating the creativity and variety of God. Take time to thank Him for creation and the provision of all life on the earth.
3 – Prayer walk. If there is a particular burden on your heart, take a walk near a related place and pray out to God for His intervention. If you are concerned for children or grandchildren at school, walk the school block several times praying over the child, teachers, classmates, health, academics, and social life. If it is work, then head out of the office at lunchtime and wander the area praying about all that is on-going. If the weather or such is a concern, rather than doing a physical walk, do a mental walk: imagine the different areas at the school, office, etc and pray about them.
4 – The Word. Read or listen to the Bible. Set aside the helpful instruments and just immerse yourself in His word. Pray it out loud, using the verse as a guide.
What other one-hour activities do you do to rest in Him? I find these restore balance and regenerate my focus and energy for the day.
I have heard that an older ox is paired to younger to help teach it, but I can’t find that in any agricultural literature. The story is repeated numerous times on Bible sites, but how about in action? If you know of something about this, please share that with us!
