When I get stressed out, usually my body takes the hardest hit. Considering I’m not easily stressed out, it’s annoying when my stress is met with physical sickness. Over the last six months, I have had COVID, a vicious stomach virus and bronchitis. I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to slow down, but the stresses of life made me take a step back and pause. Over the last few months, I’ve been practicing intentional mindfulness, focusing on the truths of Scripture and casting my anxieties on Jesus, the only One who doesn’t get sick or overwhelmed by my problems.

Maybe you don’t physically get sick when you’re overwhelmed, maybe it looks like outbursts of anger, or you become lethargic. No matter how you react, everyone experiences the hard things of life that take a toll on every part of us. But Jesus beckons us to come to Him when we are weary and burdened.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle 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

The antidote for the anxieties of life is the rest found in Christ. Jesus doesn’t put the responsibility back on us by telling us to figure it out. He doesn’t say, “Hey I know you’re stressed out, but do better!” Jesus simply says, come to me and I will give you the rest and peace that you need. The rest that doesn’t come from self-help books or trendy podcasts. The rest that comes from the Prince of Peace is not fleeting but eternal.

Earlier in Matthew, we see Jesus rebuking the people and religious leaders for not believing who He said He was, even after witnessing the miracles that were performed. This idea takes us to the end of chapter 11, where we see Jesus telling the people to come to Him. Why does that matter? It matters because how do you come to Jesus for rest if you don’t believe in the power of Jesus over your circumstances and anxieties. In order to come to Jesus, to cast your cares on Him, you must believe that He has the ability to carry your yoke (burdens) and provide rest to your soul.

This concept became a little more tangible to me when I read a quote by Tim Keller earlier this week. Well, it was technically a tweet…but that’s the millennials quote right?

 

If you say: I believed in God, I trusted God, and He didn't come through-You only trusted God to meet your agenda, not a God who could set your agenda.

— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) May 3, 2021

The same concept applies to trusting God with our anxieties. If we can trust God in some areas and not all the areas of our life, we are pretty much saying to God, “You can handle some things, but not all of my things.” How conceited is that? To trust God for something you want but not something you need. Just like the religious leaders, will we see what God is doing in your life and the lives of others and refuse to believe in His power?

My tendency, and maybe yours too, is to trust God when I can see the plan. If what I’m going through makes sense, I can walk in faith a little easier. However, this type of faith isn't real, it's pseudo-type-faith that puts the object of faith on my ability rather than God's ability. But, for some reason, I think that if I knew what the future held, I can be better prepared with an action plan. I can make my life easier and take some of the pressure off of God. But that’s not what I am called too. And thank God for that, because if it worked that way, I would really mess my life up. To trust God in everything means that I trust that God has what is good for me. Maybe not what I want or the way I think it should go, but the plans that God has for me are for His ultimate glory and my sanctification. What could be better than that?

To rest in Jesus means to trust Jesus. When we come to Jesus, we are acknowledging that He has the power over our anxieties and unknowns. We find true rest when our burdens are given over to Him, because He is the only One strong enough to carry them. Finding rest in Jesus is like cold water to our weak and tired souls. We no longer have to search or strive for more because Jesus satisfies our every longing, every fear, every unknown. It’s through Christ alone that we find the rest that our souls long for.

by Emily LaGrone