By Rick Warren
“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 CEV)
Where do you go for peace if you don’t have God in your life, if you’re not connected on a moment-by-moment basis? Jesus Christ has an incredible offer for you. He says, “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 CEV).
I like that verse because it says the exact opposite of what most people think God will say to them. They think that if God wants them to come home this Christmas, he’s going to say, “Come home to me, and I will give you rules. Come home to me, and I will give you regulations. Come home to me, and I will give you restrictions. Come home to me, and I will give you religion. Come home to me, and I will give you rituals.” But God doesn’t say any of those things. He says, “Come home to me, and I will give you rest.”
The reason why you’re so tired all the time and why you get stressed out is because you’re trying to live your life on your own power. God never meant for you to do that.
The Bible says, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isaiah 40:29 NLT).
If you’ve been feeling a little down, a little anxious, a little fatigued, a little worried this Christmas season, come home to God. He’s the one who made you, who created you, who’s watched every moment of your life, who knows everything about you and still loves you, who forgives you and says, “Come home to my peace and strength.” When you do that, you’ll have real peace of mind.
Talk It Over
- What have you been worrying about that you need to surrender to God?
- What do you think it means to receive rest from God?
- How can you minimize the stress in your life this Christmas? What will you have to let go of to do that?
