Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”
I am a doer. I do things, a lot of things, too many things. During a serious battle with burnout, I learned that “doing” must be balanced by “being”. I needed an example of what that looks like. Jesus demonstrated it.
If you follow Jesus’s day to day activities, you will find that He always made space in His schedule for rest. He made it a point to go to the Father to recharge, ask for help, quiet the noise. He allowed the Father to reset the storyline in His mind and refresh His spirit.
In Jesus’s short time on this earth, He accomplished more than any person, ever. I think the key was—the rest of history was written in the rest of His story. By choosing to rest in the presence of the Father, Jesus found direction and inspiration for the next thing.
As for me, I am learning to rest in the Father’s presence. It’s a process. But here’s what I’ve learned so far. He gives me presents I don’t necessarily ask for. Sometimes, He gives me the exact healing or breakthrough I’ve been praying for as I am quiet before Him. Sometimes, He brings correction or redirection—forgive that person, stop that behavior, try this strategy or mature your attitude.
What I’ve come to recognize is that as children, we think in terms of hours, days, and weeks. As adults, we think in terms of seasons, years and decades. The Father thinks in terms of eternity. Therefore, He is able to right the rest of the story in our hearts and minds if we lay our burdens before Him. That is His promise to us.
~Joy Howard
Christ Fellowship