REST!
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… and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28–29
We live in a culture that celebrates busy. Full calendars can look like success. Constant movement can feel like productivity. We wear exhaustion like a badge of honor and sometimes convince ourselves that if we stop, even for a moment, everything will fall apart.
But Jesus offers another strategy:
REST!
Rest is not the opposite of success. Rest is a necessary part of a sustainable success strategy.
Come. Take. Learn. Rest.
In Matthew 11, Jesus speaks to people who are weary and burdened. The Greek word translated weary carries the idea of becoming tired through labor and toil. These are people who have been working, striving, carrying, trying and pushing.
Jesus does not condemn them for being tired. Instead, He gives them an invitation:
“Come to me.”
Notice that Jesus does not first say, Try harder.
He does not say, Do more.
He does not say, Keep pushing until you collapse.
He says, “Come.”
Then Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” A yoke was designed to make carrying a load manageable. Jesus is not promising a life without responsibility. He is teaching us how to carry responsibility without allowing responsibility to crush us.
There are some things God has called us to carry and there are some things we picked up that God never assigned to us.
Rest gives us space to discern the difference.
Think about your phone. You can have the newest model, the best apps and the fastest processor. But if the battery reaches zero, none of those capabilities matter.
Eventually, it must be connected to its power source.
We understand that about our devices but sometimes we forget about ourselves.
You can be gifted, called, educated, creative, compassionate and committed and still become depleted.
You cannot continually pour from your vessel of life that is never replenished.
Jesus invites us to reconnect to our Source.
Rest is not simply sleeping. Sometimes our bodies stop while our minds keep running. Jesus promises something deeper: “rest for your souls.”
That is rest for the mind that has been racing.
Rest for the heart that has been carrying others.
Rest for the spirit that has been pouring out.
Rest for the person who has been strong for everybody else.
Throughout Scripture, rest is woven into God’s rhythm for life. Rest creates room to listen, reflect, heal, dream, discern and receive.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop.
Stop striving.
Stop carrying what does not belong to you.
Stop believing that everything depends upon you.
Rest reminds us that God is still God while we are resting!
Let’s Reflect:
As you consider your own rhythm of life, ask yourself:
- What am I carrying? Identify the responsibilities, expectations, worries and pressures weighing on you.
- What can I release? Everything demanding your attention does not deserve your energy.
- Where do I need to reconnect with God? Create intentional space for prayer, silence, Scripture and reflection.
- When will I rest? Don’t simply hope rest happens. Put it on the calendar. Protect it.
- What can I learn from Jesus? His invitation is not simply to rest but to “learn from me.” Let Jesus reshape your pace, priorities and practices.
Perhaps Jesus’ words are exactly what you need in this season:
Come.
Come away from the noise.
Come away from the demands.
Come away from the endless list of things that still need to be done.
Come and breathe.
Come and listen.
Come and receive.
Come and REST.
Scarritt Bennett Center invites you to participate in the RISE Retreat, August 22–23, at Scarritt Bennett Center. RISE is an opportunity to step away intentionally and create sacred space for renewal, reflection, connection and spiritual restoration.
You do not have to wait until you are completely depleted to rest.
Rest before you break.
Rest so you can hear.
Rest so you can discern.
Rest so you can heal.
Rest so you can RISE.
Jesus still extends the invitation: “Come to me…and I will give you rest.”
Maybe the next step toward where God is calling you is not to run faster.
Maybe it is to REST.
Let’s Pray:
Gracious God, thank You for reminding us that we do not have to earn rest. Teach us to recognize when we are weary and give us the wisdom to release the burdens we were never meant to carry. Quiet our minds, renew our spirits and restore our souls. Help us develop rhythms that honor You and sustain the work You have called us to do. May we rest in Your presence so that we can rise renewed, restored and ready for what is next. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
REST! A Necessary Part of Your Success Strategy.
For more information about the RISE Retreat, contact Rev. Kelli X at kx@scarrittbennett.org.
Rest,
Rev. Dr. Sondrea L. Tolbert
Executive Director & CEO
Scarritt Bennett Center
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