“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
I read something from Eugene Peterson this week that really made me stop and think. He was talking about some of the reasons we keep our lives so busy, and he said, “I am busy because I am vain.” He explained that we live in a society where crowded schedules and harassed conditions can become evidence of importance. We fill our calendars, overcommit ourselves, and run from one thing to the next—and when people notice how busy we are, it can make us feel more significant. Ouch.
The question is: why do we care so much about how other people see us? Sometimes we say yes to something because we don’t want someone to be upset with us. Sometimes we take on one more responsibility because we don’t want to people to think of us as lazy. And sometimes we keep moving because we’ve convinced ourselves that being busy means we’re important. And before we know it, we’re exhausted and worn out.
Our world moves at an incredible pace. We are constantly connected, constantly available, constantly moving from one thing to the next, sometimes even hurrying through our time with God. And we wonder why we’re struggling spiritually.
Maybe part of the problem is that we’re trying to live at a pace God never intended for us to live. I love what Jesus says in Matthew 11. He doesn’t just tell us to take a break. He says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.” A yoke connects two animals so they can work together. Jesus is inviting us to walk with Him—to move with Him—to learn His way of living.
He’s not just offering us a moment of rest. He’s offering us a different rhythm for our lives. Maybe that’s what some of us need today. Maybe we need to stop, take a deep breath, and ask God, “Am I moving at Your pace?” Because sometimes we get frustrated that God isn’t moving fast enough, when the truth is that we’re the ones that have gotten out ahead of Him.
We want answers now. We want God to change things now. We want to know what’s next right now. But God is moving at a different pace than most of us. And I don’t think His slower pace is a sign that He’s forgotten us. I believe it’s an invitation to walk alongside Him instead of running out ahead of Him.
So maybe today, take a moment to slow down: lay down our phones; step away from the noise; take a deep breath and spend some quiet moments with God. Let’s ask Him to teach us His rhythms. Let’s ask Him to show us where we’re running ahead of Him. And let’s ask Him to teach us how to walk with Him.
Because it’s not just about slowing down. It’s actually learning to walk at His pace and in communion with Him. And when we find ourselves in step with Him, that’s when we truly find rest for our souls.
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