An Invitation to Rest

November 5, 2020
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An Invitation to Rest
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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

Jesus lived His life out in the open. He didn’t try to hide who He was or the mission to which God called Him. And, He actively invited anyone interested to learn His way to join Him. Matthew 11 offers one such invitation.
No matter how many times I read these words, I always find myself taking a big, deep breath and relaxing. You can feel Jesus’s words move into your soul, providing assurance that He can alleviate your exhaustion and frustration.

Pastor Max Lucado wrote, “America—the country of shortcuts and fast lanes. (We’re the only nation on earth with a mountain called “Rushmore.”)

“Time,” according to pollster Louis Harris, “may have become the most precious commodity in the land.”
A life at rest is such a compelling invitation in a world that is moving ever faster. I worked with a lady who told me, “I get four hours of sleep a night, and I wish I didn’t even need that!” I was worn out listening to her.
I know people who listen to podcasts at one and a half to two times the recorded speed. We upgrade our phones to operate at 5G instead of 4G. We are constantly seeking more bandwidth and gigabytes. Even babies nowadays have to start reading by eighteen months if they are going to win the Baby Olympics. Into this high-octane existence, Jesus introduces a way of life that produces rest. Not only that, but He also invites you to it.

Because Jesus gave His invitation in the first century, we don’t always take it seriously. We think of the ancient way of life as so much less chaotic than ours. After all, those people did not drive cars or have smartphones, and they were not connected to the information superhighway. Yet we overlook how rigorous their life was. Today’s simple tasks—household chores, traveling from one place to another, communicating with others, conducting business—were time-consuming and tedious to an extent we can’t imagine. Like us, Jesus’s hearers were burning daylight in such a way that they needed rest. His offer was a relief then, and it is a relief now.

Every one of us, from students to CEOs of major corporations could find relief in resting.
One common objection I hear is this: “Sure, I need some rest, but a life of rest feels really unproductive. How does that even begin to connect with all the work to be done?” That’s a legitimate concern, and even a fear. But consider the One who is giving the invitation. Was Jesus’s life unproductive? Did His way of rest cause Him to miss out on opportunities He could have had, financial blessings He could have received, career advancements He should have taken?

I think not. As I see it, Jesus accomplished more than the entire human race combined. With a mission that was more important than all of humanity’s missions, the weight and pressure on Jesus had to be heavier than anything any human has ever experienced. And yet He slept on a boat in the middle of a storm and offered rest to the weary in the middle of life’s chaos.

There’s no doubt in my mind that we would all be more effective in our mission if we took time to rest. I’m not saying we just stop or take a nap. Jesus promised an extraordinary kind of rest. “The best news in Jesus’ invitation is found in a pronoun. He said, “Come to Me.” The rest He promised is not so mystic or spiritual that physically exhausted people can’t find it. Jesus Himself is our Rest.”

Friends, the God of the universe is inviting us to rest in Him. He says, “come to Me.” When things aren’t working out the way we want, when we’re tired and miserable, Jesus offers rest and refreshment for not merely our bodies, but our souls as well. Don’t let your “to-do” list rob you of Jesus’s invitation. Come and rest in Him.

Johnny Hunt, Gen. Ed, Dr. J. Kie Bowman, Hyde Park Baptist Church, The Gift of Jesus: My Daily Devotional, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 203 (Emphasis mine)

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