Finding Rest

Finding Rest

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Do you find yourself ready to get off of your feet at the end of the day? According to the New York Times, the average American takes 5,117 steps a day; the average Amish man takes 18,000 steps a day, and the average Amish woman takes 14,000 steps! If anyone needs rest it’s the Amish . . . and they take it. The Amish community considers Sunday a day of rest. They eat simple meals, prepared the day before, and give their bodies time to rejuvenate. They may read, sit and visit with family, or write letters. Their feet do not have to worry about all those steps!

For many people Sunday isn’t so different from any other day. They shop, they cook, and they even squeeze in work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told myself, Answering a few e-mails won’t hurt. But it does.

In Matthew 11:28, above, God tells us He will give us rest. The question is, do we take it? Do we rest on the Sabbath? More than that, do we go to God—every day of the week—and ask Him to lift our burdens? Isaiah 28:12 adds, “God has told his people, ‘Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.’ But they would not listen.”

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find it easier to complain about my burdens than to take them to the Lord. Sometimes it’s easier to feel overwhelmed with my work than it is to push it all to the side for an hour and just relax with my family or a friend.

The question is not whether we have burdens and weariness. The question is, will we take them to God and still our minds and our hands for Him to do His refreshing work?

Dear heavenly Father, I admit it: I need rest. I need You to come and lift these burdens. At this moment I’m not too proud to say so.