Find Rest

Have you ever gone through a season of life where you just couldn't find the ability to rest in God?

This life can be busy. It can be demanding. I don't have a family of my own yet, but I find myself so busy almost all of the time. Take my recent season for instance. I work full time. I'm now officially a full time auntie - I just started doing the majority of the school pickups for my oldest nephew. I participate in church groups. Most days, I feel like I have no time to just stop and rest. Have you ever been so busy that you feel like you're going nonstop for days on end? You just can't wait to get through all of the tasks ahead of you so you can finally stop, sit down, and rest. It's hard to find a good balance sometimes. Believe it or not, you can do the same thing mentally, too.

Sure, you're not physically going anywhere, but it still effects you greatly. Maybe you're feeling anxious about something. Maybe you're going through a trial. Maybe you're struggling and haven't shared it with anyone. Whatever it is, if you find yourself constantly thinking about that thing and nothing else you're just wearing yourself out in the long run. I've had times where I couldn't stop hyper focusing on whatever situation I was in. I'd wake up thinking about it. While getting ready for work. While driving to work. While working. While coming home. While trying to relax. While finishing my day. Even as I was laying in bed trying to sleep. Do you know where that got me? Absolutely nowhere. I'd think so much about the situation, yet still not know what to do and then be worried about the whole thing on top of it. There is such a strong battle in our minds, and it can be hard to manage. How can we combat this? By looking to God as our help.

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28

Why is something that sounds so easy actually so hard for us to do? You can say that you disagree, but I know for many it's a real struggle for them to give their burdens to God. Doing that requires having a strong faith and trusting that God will come through for you. If you don't feel that way, or are unsure, you might find yourself struggling to give your situation to God. This promise is a very good one. Come to God with your heavy burdens and He will give you rest. There's no limit. No judgment. Just a loving Father looking out for His children. It's not a test or a challenge. God truly wants what's best for us - nothing else. All we have to do is accept His offer. And do it willingly, too. If we don't willingly give our burdens to God, we may as well not have done it at all. Yes, you gave it to God to do His thing, but did you actually give it to Him? Maybe you think you can do something to help speed up the process or change the outcome yourself. Are you really not worrying about the situation by doing this? No. Are you fully letting go of your situation by doing this? Also no. Giving your burdens to God can be quite the process. But it’s totally worth it.

Jesus died on the cross for us. Yes, that's a pretty well-known fact - I know. But have you ever really thought about what He did for us? He died for us. Our sins. Our hardships. Our successes. Our futures. Us. Long before we were even a thought in our parents' minds. Can you imagine that? And giving us rest from our heavy burdens? God is waiting for us to let Him in so He can help us. I've said it before and I'll say it again - He truly is the perfect Father. As I said earlier, there is no limit or judgment when we ask God to help us. A song I love says, "He's not sitting there shaking His head, writing you off, leaving you lost." It's so easy to believe that lie. That God is sitting us in Heaven watching us make poor choices and shaking His head in disappointment. Wondering why we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. It's just the opposite. He chooses us. Over and over again. And it's a choice that He willingly makes. He committed to that choice when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.

"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

When we give our burdens to God, it's our job to trust that He will come through for us. I recently found this verse, and loved the simple message. He is faithful, He will do it. It's a comforting reminder for me. I'm sure it is for many of you, too. We need to remember that God does things in His perfect timing, though. Did you read that correctly? God's perfect timing. Not our timing. His. God's timing may not align with our expectations, but it's always for the best. He has our best interest at heart. I have learned that things may not happen in the timing I want them to because God has something better in mind for me. It took me a while to truly understand and appreciate this. We live in a time where we can have almost anything instantaneously. Seriously, I didn't order something from Amazon a few days ago because it wasn't going to be at my house the next day. I think that God's timing is something that can humble us really quickly. Because He knows how long we think He should take to help us. Spoiler alert - we don't think He should take any long period of time to intervene. Do I need to go through telling you my job story from last summer again? If you really want to know - go check out the last post! Long story short, a job interview I thought I would hear back from in about a week haunted me the entire summer and then some. God didn't give me His answer until four months later. Longest four months of my life. But what He decided was so much better for me than anything I had wanted to happen in the waiting. God's timing is the best timing.

I'm posing a question to you today... Are you weighed down by heavy burdens? This is something you'd know the answer to immediately. If you are feeling weighed down, I have a follow up question. Will you give your burdens to God and let Him give you rest in return? God's rest is better than any other rest you could get. It's exactly what we need. If you're on the fence of letting go of your situation and letting God take control, I implore you to at least try doing it. Give your burdens to God, pull out your mustard seed faith that He will work out what's best for you, and see where He takes you. You might be surprised. I know I've been surprised quite a few times - even recently. God is always waiting with open arms, ready to help His children that He loves so much. All we have to do is trust that He will come through.