#100: Are You Tired?

"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." Matt 11: 28-30 (MSG)

In the midst of our busy schedule for the day and week, can we just take out quality time to assess our lives and achievements. In terms of our prospects in life and the efforts we are putting in place to achieve them; there is a question that should be answered today - are you tired? Even in the spiritual aspect of it, are you tired, worn out, or burned out? Does it seem that every concerted effort you make to be on par with God and His mandates always lead you back to the same spot (back to square one)?

There is good news! Are you Tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Jesus is identifying with you today and He comes offering an invitation to a relationship as against the religious way that you have been going about it. Perhaps it is time to pause, [and] be still and know that He is God. There is no need for further fidgeting. God has decided to step into your life now. And He is introducing a new concept that will guide you to a life of real rest - the way of the unforced rhythm of grace.

There is a thin line between working hard and going the path with the least resistance. The latter is what the LORD is introducing us to today. The path with the least resistance does not necessarily mean that there are no resistances, but because we are in a rhythm and an unforced rhythm at that (we are not in control), there is sufficiency therein to pass through the resistance without it distorting our course.

Is this not mouth watering? This is grace! The scripture tells us to learn it. This is a achieved through a relationship with Jesus. He tells us to Come to Him, get away with Him [and we'll recover our life]. He'll show us how to take a real rest. We are only to walk with Him and work with Him—watching how He does it all the way. It is herein that we make contact with the unforced rhythm of grace.

Grace being a rhythm and an unforced rhythm paints a picture that characterises grace as what it really is. Grace makes us to do what ordinarily we would not have been able to do. What ordinarily would wear us out, make us tired or burn us our, grace makes it to be seamless. Wouldn't you rather learn this unforced rhythm of grace? Come to Jesus now!

Thought: Romans 7:17-25 (MSG)

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.