“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, NIV) 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

 

Come.

Feeling stressed? Unworthy? Unloved?

Come.

Staring at the unknown? The impossible? The dark?

Come.

Come into His presence – just as you are. God isn’t focused on what you’ve done or haven’t done…He’s not holding a list of qualification boxes waiting to be checked off before He’ll accept you into His loving arms. Just come.

This life can be rough. It can flat out suck some days. God never promised to ‘only give us what we can handle’ – but He did promise to never leave nor forsake us. He did promise that in His presence is fullness of joy…that His Spirit brings love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. We find refuge and rest in Him when we simply come. We find all that we lack in His embrace.

Come. Kicking and screaming if you have to. God isn’t afraid of your mess. It’s not overwhelming to Him. Get real. Get dirty. Spill your guts. Use four-letter words if you have to (that’s right, God’s not afraid of those either). He KNOWS us. He knows our hearts more than we do. Nothing is going to shock Him so we have no reason to hide.

Whether it’s your first time or millionth time, come to God. If words don’t come, simply saying ‘Help’ or ‘Hi’ or ‘Wazzup Homie G’ will suffice. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just come.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13, NIV)

“I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”  (Ephesians 3:16-20. The Message)

Amen.

Image Credit: Erin Kass