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Anyone else having a rough day?
(Or week…or month…or year?)

I have a list of calls I need to make for work. I have emails that need answering. I have lesson plans to make, an online curriculum to set up, test scores and spreadsheets to go over. And on top of that, my laptop just broke (for what I thought was forever, but thankfully turned out to be just an hour of sheer panic). I’m still not pregnant, Coronavirus is still happening, school this year is still up in the air.

When my husband asked me what was wrong, I couldn’t think of any other word to describe how I was feeling except for weary. 

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What does it mean to be weary?

We don’t use the word weary much — we tend to gravitate towards stressed, worried, exhausted, and overwhelmed. The word weary, to me, is a combination of all of the above. It’s a feeling of a deep need for relief.

Maybe because we don’t use the word weary all that much, anytime I hear it it immediately brings to mind the verse from Matthew 11:28-30:

I’ve been reflecting on this verse a lot lately, and wondering to myself: If God promises rest for the weary — and I’m feeling weary — why am I not feeling any rest? 

Where is the “rest for my soul”?

God has promised me rest…and since He always keeps His promises…this must be something on my end.

“Come to me,” God says. But I feel like I’ve been going to Him, all right. I’m reading my Bible every day. I’m praying. So what’s the deal?

And then it occurred to me: I’m not coming to God when I need the rest.

I’m coming to Him in the morning when I read my Bible, and at night when I pray…but what about all of the times in between — the times when I’m going throughout my day feeling weary?

If I would just come to Him when I’m weary, He would give me rest. This is on me, not on God.

3 ways to discover the rest God promises

1. Meditate on scripture all day long

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

When I find myself weary, I realize it’s because I’m dwelling on the things of this world.

When I’m drifting off to sleep, I find myself meditating not on God’s promises, but instead on what I need to do tomorrow. When I’m eating dinner, I’m thinking of the emails I need to send. When I’m on a walk, I’m thinking of all the things I forgot to do today.

When we allow ourselves myself to meditate all day long on the things that make us weary, we refuse the rest that God has promised us.

What are you meditating on throughout your day? When you find your mind start to wander and think about the worries of this world, train yourself to recite a Bible verse instead. One of my favorites you could start with is Isaiah 40:31:

But those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

(For other ideas, see this post.)

2. Pray continually

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In the midst of our “morning routines” and “daily quiet times” and “prayer journals” (all good things, by the way), I think we sometimes forget that prayer is not an item to be checked off our to do lists. The Bible says that we should pray continually — as in, never ceasing. We should go throughout our day constantly praying.

Talk to God when you’re in your car, while you’re in line at the store, before you walk into a meeting. Prayers do not have to be fancy or formal, and they don’t have to be out loud. In fact, God tells us the opposite about prayer: Check out Matthew 5:6-13. We should be having a conversation with God all day long.

3. Stop to enjoy God’s creation

Sometimes there’s no better way to receive God’s rest than to simply take a break from whatever it is you’re doing. If you’re like me, that’s hard to do. Taking a break feels like time wasted. When I’m taking a break, I’m meditating on the things I need to do and I’m certainly not praying (see #1 and #2). I’m wondering when I can get back to getting things accomplished.

But look no further than the Psalms or the book of Isaiah to realize that God’s people certainly enjoyed, appreciated, and stood in wonder of God’s creation.

(See also Psalm 96, Job 12, and Isaiah 55.)

Perhaps the best way to try out #1 and #2 above is to force yourself to take a break. Go on a walk at the worst possible time for you to take a break, but don’t allow yourself to meditate on the reasons you don’t have time for a walk. Meditate on scripture, pray, and look around at God’s creation.

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