Thought for the Day - Sunday 5 July

Thought for the Day – Sunday 5^th July

‘“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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)

What does the word rest mean to you?

Maybe it is a good night’s sleep which makes you feel at rest – I know that certainly helps me, perhaps it is just sitting down and putting your feet up with a nice cup of tea or coffee after a busy day, maybe it is a quiet time on your own doing nothing or a quiet walk or doing a puzzle or time spent on a hobby, maybe even a few days away from the daily routine of your life.

We know rest is important – even God took time to rest, we know it is good for our health, we know our mood changes when we are rested – rest just brings so many benefits to our lives but we also know how difficult it can be at times to get rest, for our minds are ever active, there is always so much to do, always so many things in our lives to choose between and that too can be unsettling and far from restful, always so many things which can bring anxiety and worry to our lives,

So how do we find that rest we seek and need in our lives?

Well, does not Jesus tell us when he says, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’? If we want rest, genuine rest, the rest which only Jesus can bring to our lives then we must turn to him!

Actually, I like the way Eugene Peterson in The Message translation puts these words of Jesus where he puts them into modern day language and says this:  

“Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to find genuine rest.  Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

When we turn to Jesus, walk with Jesus, work with and not against Jesus, when we learn from the way Jesus did things and how Jesus treated people and Jesus’ attitude to others, when we learn those ‘unforced rhythms of grace’ – what a lovely phrase that is! – and then apply that self-same grace in all we do – then we will not be over-burdened, we will not be tired and weary and anxious and worn out – instead we can have that genuine rest in our lives and can learn to live ‘freely and lightly’ in the company of Jesus.

Now notice, Jesus does not say he will make our lives burden free, nor does he promise to carry everything for us or let us have our own way at all times but if we come to him and don his yoke the work we have to do in his name will never be more than we can bear and he will constantly be guiding us, as does a farmer with a yoked animal. Taking up his yoke then is about us forming a relationship with the humble hearted Jesus, where we are offered his rest, his comfort, his grace, his gentleness, his very self to aid us in all we do. A relationship where we know we are loved and comforted and cared for and offered genuine rest and grace in abundance for whatever troubles us.

If we choose to follow our own way and not turn to Jesus – our way will never be as good and restful as his way, it will never be as fulfilling and rewarding, it may be more burdensome, more tiring, may even be lonelier without his company. Turning to him, taking up his yoke means a relationship of overflowing love, extravagant grace and a genuine rest like no other rest.

Prayer

Loving Lord,

Set for us a rhythm that sets our feet to the beat of your heart. Lead us on the path that winds towards your gentle way. Give to us: rest on our journey, pleasure in our tasks, humility in our success, and forgiveness in our failures. That the yokes and burdens, of this journey of life, might be of your making, and not our own. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Hymn

‘I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.’