Bent Over with Burden

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

We all live with constant reminders of how broken life is and how burdened we are as a result.

Every payday, every raise cycle, every family gathering, every set of clothes to be washed, every leaky faucet, every time the car starts shaking and shivering, every eerie silence in the house, every relationship that tanks, every plaguing health condition, every time the news announces that another person has been shot by the police, every phone call that demands something of you… 

With all of these things, you are bent over with burden.

But no matter how much life has taken, no matter how much you are mentally scarred, no matter how broken your heart is, no matter how painful your life's predicament—you have one thing to give to God: your capacity to show up one more time.

If that's all you have—hear me, child of God—it’s more than enough to put you in the perfect place for your condition to change.

Don't attempt to control the environment you're in. Stop trying to calculate how to space out your mood and presence and effort and energy. No, just show up. If that's all you have, then just show up, and Jesus will respond by letting you know that blessings are eventual. That’s how your optimism is fed. That’s how your faith is matured. That’s how your convictions are deepened, your resolve is fueled, and your vision is sharpened.

He notices your journey, your struggles, your bent-over condition—and He offers you rest.