"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

- Matthew 11:28

This month we’ve been focusing on rest. 

But, what is rest? How do we find it? And, why is it so hard to come by?

I know, for me, rest is like this elusive, ethereal unicorn. The closer I get to it, the more it startles and runs off. And, I know that I’m not just preaching to myself here! Can I get an "amen"?!?! Seriously. We have whole industries devoted to helping the modern person find rest－spas, yoga studios, sleep clinics, Pandora stations. You name it, we’re all seeking it, Christian and non-Christian alike; we long for rest. We’ve identified our need for rest as a society, and have responded with various solutions, but all to no lasting avail. You see, we haven’t over-exaggerated our need for rest, we’ve seriously underestimated it. We mistakenly think some practice or gimmick is going to satisfy the deep need we have for rest. 

The Bible tells us that our rest deficiency is rooted far deeper than we can know. Inability to find rest in our own souls is in fact our main problem. Our souls are burdened because the world is broken and cannot live up to our expectations. But, what's far more unsettling is our own inability to live up to our expectations. We are broken too. Jesus tells us in our verse that he sees our brokenness and our burdens, he sees our exhausted souls, and he recognizes that they’re far too much for us to handle on our own. But, he doesn’t just leave us there, under the crushing weight of it all. He offers to bear our burdens for us and to give our worn-out souls rest. 

Jesus’s promise of rest is for anyone who will come to him admitting their need. Our hearts are broken and heavy, and we’re unable to live rightly. We consistently make mistakes and just can’t do it all on our own. Ironically though, it’s when we admit we’re at the bottom, that we’re actually in the best possible place. It’s from this humble, honest place that Jesus can meet us, and give us the rest we so desperately need. He’s always at the ready to make good on his promise to us. We simply need to ask. Only Jesus can give us the true soul rest we need. He is the one Person who can make right our wrongs, set our feet on solid ground, and walk with us through all of the ups and downs, carrying our burdens for us. 

Whether asking Jesus for his soul rest is a daily practice, or if this is your first time, it's the one thing we all need. Take a moment to be honest with him today.

Have you ever asked Jesus for his true and lasting soul rest?

Have you asked Jesus for his rest yet today?