Rest In Him

Have you ever reached a point in your life where you just feel so tired? Tired of thinking... tired of worrying... tired of stressing... It feels like what you're experiencing is so hard that you don't even know where to turn. Should you just give up or keep fighting even though it's so hard to fight because you feel like you're still going to lose in the end? The Bible has something to say about this:

Due to the multitude of problems, compounded by fatigue and sleeplessness, as well as worries about what will happen in the future, there are indeed times when we experience hardship. Everyone feels this way, not just me and not just you. It is not only the poor who experience difficulties, but also those who are well-off, because we are all human. We do not possess the power to halt all problems. In fact, sometimes in our attempts to resolve these issues, it appears that they only multiply. This happens because we often rely solely on ourselves to solve them. More often than not, we do not include the Lord in our considerations.

Because sometimes, we want to embrace what they say, 'I carry the world on my shoulders'.

It's difficult, isn't it? Very much so. It's immensely hard when we are the only ones shouldering the problems. 

You see, there came a time in my life during my youth when I felt as though I was carrying everything on my shoulders. My uncle, who was one of those who helped us, lost his job at that time. He was deceived by someone he trusted, leading to his misfortune and subsequent unemployment. Because of that incident, we had lost our comfortable life. At that time, it was just my sibling and me working, and our salaries were extremely low; we could barely provide for our personal needs due to the meager wages. Being the eldest, they relied on me. They never explicitly stated that I was who they were counting on, but being there, I felt the burden. I sensed the weight of the responsibility that was placed upon me. And it was tough.

Due to the immense difficulty I felt, I was always irritable, which resulted in me hurting my loved ones through my words. I was fed up because I did not yet have my own family, but it felt as though I had so many responsibilities. I wondered then, when would I be able to escape the situation I was facing at that time. The weight of my life continued until I came to know the Lord.

I really regret having that attitude towards my whole family just because I felt the difficulty of the situation. I now think that if I had known the Lord back then, no matter how tough things got, I wouldn’t have felt alone. Like now, we often go through hard times, especially financially, where you don’t know what’s next. But because of the Lord, we’re learning to talk to Him and give all our tiredness, problems, and worries to Him, and because of that, He becomes our place of rest.

It doesn’t mean that when we draw near to the Lord, all our problems will suddenly disappear, but it’s our closeness to Him that provides us with strength and rest. We will feel that the Lord is with us and won’t leave us in the midst of our battles in life. We can find a safe place in His presence. No matter what problems come our way or any hardships we feel, He will give us enough rest that no amount of money can match.

The truth is that many individuals nowadays struggle to find rest.  Many people seek it in love, money, and the power they wield in this world.  But the Lord is where real rest may be found. No amount of money, love, or power in this world can surpass that because only the Lord can provide us with peace amidst the weight of the problems and challenges each of us faces in this world.

Are you feeling tired and ready to give up today because you feel that there is no direction to the course of your life at this moment? Please join me in a short prayer.

Supreme God, King of kings, I come to You with an open heart and mind. Everything I do is for You, Lord, embrace me tightly with all Your love to fill my life with joy that comes from You. I feel tired and weak, but please strengthen my faith because in Your refuge is where I can find my strength. The troubles and hardships are trying to bring me down, but Your love is what lifts me up, Lord. Fill my thirsty soul and my battered body, and replace it with a life that continues to praise You. Thank You so much, Lord. All the praise, glory, and thanks are Yours in the name of Jesus, Amen!

Thank you for reading. To God be all the glory!!