Dear Amy,

Where does weariness come from?

I don’t mean that state of emptiness and exhaustion which I wrote about previously, where we find we have absolutely nothing left in the tank. At those times we critically need the Lord’s grace and kindness and healing and restoration⸺which he is truly so ready to provide. Instead for now I mean to address those times when things are tending to get on top of us in a smaller way, when nevertheless so much of what we have to do is a trial, when everything seems unreasonably harder than it ought, when life itself has become really quite wearying.

Jesus spoke into this.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

― Matthew 11:28-30

These words are so very familiar, and yet at the same time counter-intuitive. Why is it that our rest is found in other work, in taking his yoke upon us? Couldn’t we just, well, rest?!

But if by rest we mean doing nothing in particular, that is not in itself refreshing.

Here is a major source of weariness: those many things in life that we are tempted to approach with the mindset that we can influence, that we know what to do, that we can engineer our desired outcome, for which we have our own agenda. Frustratingly though, such things are so often beyond us. Such thinking is utterly wearying and we must give it over to Jesus.

Instead, what is Jesus’ work for us? To live with humility, surrendered to the Father’s will, to his plans and purposes, pursuing love and holiness, caring for the outcast and the brokenhearted, bringing gentleness and kindness and light and grace and hope. This is the work that brings rest to our souls. And let’s notice that a yoke is fastened over the necks of two animals. Jesus himself walks alongside us in this work!

“Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

― Mark 12:28b-31

Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, Amy, and love your neighbour as yourself, and leave the rest to him! 🙏