Devotional

6. Weary and Burdened

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Intellectually, I understand that this is just the beginning. Like, I get that we’ve been self-isolating for only seven days and we have a very, very long way to go. But I’m already tired, y’all. Today my four year old climbed up on our dining room table and jumped off, my almost 2 year old climbed up on top of her dresser and sprayed a baby nasal spray all over herself and her brothers, and the six year old just watched it all happen when normally homeboy has my back and tattles on every little thing his siblings do.

I could have done without today. I’m tired, and I’m burdened and no matter how much I want to pretend like my life isn’t significantly interrupted, like it is for a lot of the people I love, I have to stand in front of the truth and say “I’ve never done this before” and give myself a bit of grace.

I don’t like admitting weakness. I’m sure I am the only one, right? But as believers, we are constantly reminded by our very real God that not only are we weak, but that our weakness is good. Paul says

Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness”.

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

When we talk about weakness, we are actually talking about opportunity. Opportunity to allow Christ to come in to our hearts and carry the burden that we are too weak to both carry and to lay down. We cling to these weaknesses of ours as if they will bring us redemption. If we try harder, work smarter, do more, be more. If we put on the brave face and deny our feelings and just keep moving in the direction we think we are supposed to go. And while we are called to deny ourselves and follow Jesus, we are not to deny our weaknesses and play them off as personal strengths, ignoring God’s glory and dominion over our lives! Oh no, we are to lay them down before the one who says “come to me, I can make this easier for you” and allow him to transform our weakness into his glory.

God is calling out to you. In your weakness. In the moments when you think to yourself that you can’t possibly keep this going. He knows you can’t. He knows you aren’t strong enough. But he also never leaves you there. Instead he turns to you and says “rest”. He doesn’t say try harder, he says go slower. He doesn’t say do more, he says let go. The whole dang world is on an imposed Sabbath, and don’t think he’s not the one behind it! He wants to teach us rest and grace and repentance and love. And all we have to do, the only thing we have to do is come to him. Show him your weakness, and he’ll show you his strength.

Look up the song Come To The River by Housefires. This one goes so well with the bible verse for the day. Those who are weary, those who are needy, come receive.

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