Everyone I know is tired - and not the “just need one good night sleep to recover” kind of tired, but something deeper. The world has plenty to say about rest: just do more of what you like, and less of what you don’t.

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But this cycle of pleasure seeking is never-ending, and does little more than offer a temporary high. It does nothing to relieve our weary souls.

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Enter the calm clarity of Jesus.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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)

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This is likely the most famous “rest” passage, and one I often turn to when I am feeling worn out.

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Yet, there is a subtlety to these verses that is easily overlooked.

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Jesus says something stunning. He says, “Take my yoke….and you will find rest...” Typically, when I think of rest, I think of being inactive. If I could just do less, then I’d recover.

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But that’s not what this passage is saying. There is nothing inactive about a yoke - it involves work, hard work. Jesus follows this up by saying “My burden is light.” He doesn’t say He will remove the burden, but instead He says, “My burden is light.”

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God created us for work. He modeled this by working for six days before resting for one. Our problem is not only that we work too much; our problem is that we are working for the wrong things, in the wrong way.

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The kind of soul fulfilling work God calls you and me to is for His glory, and through His strength.

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Doing things God’s way will still require rest, and sabbath is very important, but it will result in a different kind of tiredness - the deeply satisfying kind.

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God’s plan for our lives is better in every way, and this includes His design for rest. If you’re tired, the question isn’t, “How can I work less?” but rather, “What is the work God would have me do?”

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Do that, and you will find rest!

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