True Rest

The other day, my family was packing up to leave the house. I noticed my teenage son going a little slower than normal and I asked him to hurry up so we could get where we needed to go. He had a slight attitude which led me to ask him if he was okay.

“I really don’t want to go,” he said.

I asked him why and he told me he was just really tired. To which I replied, “There is no way you're tired. You slept until noon today!” 

I could see something was bothering him, so I pressed in a little more and asked him to share what was really going on. After a little coercing, he started to open his heart with me. As he was sharing, I heard God say, “His tired isn't physical, it's much more than that.” 

The next morning, I opened my son's Bible to Matthew 11:28-30, and I left a note for him with some thoughts.  

I firmly believe that my son was experiencing a tiredness of his soul. The demands of this world, of school, of games, and of peers are too much for anyone—let alone a 15-year-old. I challenged my son to take two minutes and sit with no music, no distractions, and no expectations, and to just clear his mind. After two minutes, I asked him to write down all the things he had told me the night before that he was struggling with and to take all his worries to God. 

How Are You, Really?

When asked, “How are you?” we often answer with something like, “Good, just a little tired.” How often do we cry out for rest, but all the sleep in the world still isn’t helping?  

We have an invitation, one that only requires us to show up; one that allows us to find true rest, a rest that pierces our weary souls when we allow ourselves to sit with our Heavenly Father. It’s an opportunity to be refreshed so that we are prepared to do the works of the Lord. 

Reflect:

Are you tired, burned out, and exhausted from the demands of this world? When was the last time you sat with the Lord and laid these things at his feet to really find true rest?