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Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
-Matthew 11:28

Sometimes life can feel like you are on a merry-go-round that is spinning faster and faster. Day by day, we struggle to hang as life continues to throw things at us. Our thoughts keep us awake at night rattling around in our head screaming for attention. The next day is full of fretting, frustrated by our tiredness. Our attention and energy seems to be consumed just trying to hang on. It’s disorienting as we just keep going round and round, seemingly facing the same issues over and over. Weeks begin to bleed into one another while we grope for the light at the end of the tunnel. But we just can’t seem to make it stop. It feels like life continues to spin out of control. As exhaustion increases, our apparent options decrease.

Our primary focus is directed at trying not to be flung off and our disorientation distracts us to the point we can forget those fundamental truths we know are there.

Truths that remind us that we are God’s. Truths that point out that the momentary is but a speck in the eternal. Truths that emphasize that Jesus does in fact offer us rest. Truths that call us back to the peace and joy found in the Holy Spirit. Truths that declare that God is in fact our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

We forget these truths because we have moved our eyes from Jesus to the cares of this world. We forget that because of Christ, we can simply get off the merry-go-round.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus extends His rest to us. In that moment, He was offering His way to those who were bound by all the religious rituals that could not provide any peace or rest. They actually did the opposite. Bound by religion, the people were stuck in the loop of going through the motions. The merry-go-round was at full speed and going nowhere. But the Father intervened by sending His Son. Religion was finally illuminated by the Light at the end of the tunnel and it was in the form of redemption and relationship. Redemption through Christ saves us from our sin and relationship saves us from religion.

The world today throws its religion of stress and busyness at us in a similar way that the religious leaders dominated over the people. Whenever our focus is consumed on those things we think we have to do, we quickly lose focus on the important things we need to do. And the most important thing we can do is place our trust in Jesus. When we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him. Everything else flows from this point. The merry-go-round doesn’t merely slow down, it stops. Why? Because we have moved our eyes from the distraction of this world onto the one who has conquered this world. Even though there are things in life that we must address and even press through, our attitude and perspective is different because we have opened ourselves up and pursued the only one who can give us rest, peace and joy. Even in the darkest nights and the deepest valleys.

If your life feels like a merry-go-round spinning out of control, Jesus offers you steadfast stability within Himself. If the world and those around you feel like they are crushing down on you, Jesus offers you shelter that cannot be overwhelmed. If the labor of your everyday life is getting too much, Jesus offers the love that conquers all. 

When you’re in the thick of the battle, when trial and tribulations seem to be getting the best of you, Jesus is waiting to give you rest.