Rest Is Coming. Or So I Thought.

Don’t Wait. You Can Come To Me Now

(8 Dec 2021) — Being caught up with work, church stuff, business, investments & on top of all that, taking care of grandpa every week. And here comes Youth Camp planning and their own share of issues. I was about to give up and just drop everything.

I was constantly getting headaches at work because I had so much to think about for Youth Camp and for my own business. That resulted in me being unable to focus at work to the point that I could let garlic bread burn twice in a single day, one after the other. (Gordon Ramsay would be so proud)

The only thing that was holding me and keeping me together at that point was really because I was about to end work in 2 weeks time on 22 Dec 2021. So I reasoned with myself, “Just a little bit more. After that I’m gonna rest. I’m gonna take a long break. I’m gonna treat myself well.”

Rest is coming. Or so I thought…

In the midst of trying to justify and reason with myself about how much work I’m trying to juggle, God spoke to me, “Don’t wait for the end of work to get your rest. You can come to Me as you are, now.”

And that hit me hard. The word “now”. It shifted my whole perspective.

Now?

But God, I’m busy.

I had been running on auto-pilot for such a long time ever since work started. I failed to realise that I had been running on my own strength and trying to use worldly means and reasoning to find my rest and comfort. While this led to temporarily relief and calmness, it failed to deal with the deeper issue (I was never gonna find the rest that I needed with the current rate that I’m working at).

I needed REAL rest.

When I realised and started to acknowledge that all I needed is God, His presence became known to me. When I chose to step aside and out of my self-absorbed world, God revealed Himself.

That this real rest that I needed could only be found in God. It wasn’t relief or calmness that I needed in that season. But rather, it was something for my whole life. I needed His peace. I needed His strength. I needed to be in His presence.

Had God not convict me about this, I would have probably continued carrying the weight of all these burdens upon my own shoulders and would have carried on telling myself that “rest is coming”.

What a lie that I told myself.

I too knew that this rest was never gonna come. I’m too ambitious and I’m a full-on workaholic. I love doing things. Because if I weren’t doing anything meaningful, I’ll would prolly go back to gaming. Would rest come then? Prolly not. It would surely be worse. Demons would start coming out instead.

Yet, I am often reminded of this passage.

“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, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28–30.

I hope anyone who reads this may find rest and comfort in God despite your busyness and despite the crazy stuffs that may be happening in your life. Finding rest for a season is good, but if it’s through a temporal means, then it will be no different in your next season. You are gonna find yourself tired as well. May you also find real rest in God as I had.

Stay close to God guys :) Sending love to every single one of y’all!

Jotham