Are You Weary?

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Are you weary?

There are different forms of weariness. Our bodies can be weary from physical exertion. Our minds can be weary after a long day of going to classes and studying. Worries and fears can make us emotionally weary. We can be weary of success and prosperity, too. “Napoleon wrote to his brother Joseph, ‘I am tired of glory at twenty-nine; it has lost its charm; and there is nothing left for me but complete egotism’” (Robert Lewis, Raising a Modern-Day Knight).

How do you recover?

When you are physically tired, you just need to rest your body for a while (if you can find the time). When you are mentally tired, you can rest your mind by taking a break or nap.

Much harder is to find rest for our emotions because they are harder to control. It doesn’t help that, while feelings of delight and happiness seem so transient and fragile, feelings of worry and fear seem so long-lasting and heavy. Often, we don’t know where they come from and where they go. When we do know, they are often caused by external circumstances that are out of our control. What do we do, then? It helps to know that the real cause of our emotions are not our external circumstances but our perception of them. When something bad happens, some people lose it and go into a panic. Others keep their cool and start working on possible solutions. The difference is not what happened to them; it is how they perceive the situation. One views it as a prelude to a greater disaster; another views it as an opportunity for growth and unexpected benefit. If we can change our minds, we can change our emotions.

How about the weariness that comes from prosperity? Some are bored out of their minds because nothing gives them a thrill: they’ve been there and done that. When one can buy whatever and travel to wherever he wants in luxury and style, it eventually loses its charm. What do you do, then? Many turn to philanthropy, realizing there is more joy in sharing and doing good than amassing wealth for oneself.

The ultimate weariness?

When Jesus offered to give us rest, He was not speaking merely as a social worker or therapist or self-help guru. He said, “...you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Our souls can be afflicted by many things. But the biggest cause of our souls’ weariness is guilty conscience. George Michael sang, “Guilty feet have got no rhythm” (“Careless Whisper”). King David described the weariness of his guilt-ridden soul in this way: “...when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4).

Rationalizing away our guilty feelings is not as easy as we think. What is more, guilty feelings are not the same as guilt: just because you don’t feel guilty about stealing something doesn’t mean you are not guilty of theft. We are all accountable to God. And we are all guilty before Him. How can we hope to be innocent before God when we are not innocent in the court of our own (imperfect) consciences?

This is why Jesus the Son of God had to come into the world—to give us true rest for our souls by removing our guilt. To that end, Jesus took our place before the judgment seat of God and bore our punishment by His death on the cross. And because He rose from the dead, He is able to give us true and eternal rest from the terror of divine judgment. This true rest can be yours even now if you accept what Jesus has done for you and submit to Him as your Savior and Lord. It's as simple as that because Jesus did all the work for you and God paid the costly price of sacrificing His Son. Come to Christ and find this true and eternal rest in Him. That’s our prayer.