Our Burdens

  • comfort
  • gospel
  • jesus
  • presence
  • rest
  • savior
A man lying on his back in a grassy field full of daisies and dandelions, arms outstretched.

I remember a friend saying something some years back that really stuck with me. The cliff notes version of it is this: Whenever you come to Jesus beating yourself up about everything you’re not yet in life and what you suck at it in life, he doesn’t give you 10 other things to do and go fix about yourself. If you ever feel that way reading your Bible or hearing Biblical teaching, such feelings are not from the Holy Spirit. They’re either from you not seeing your standing before the Father rightly or they’re from the adversary.

Here are some similar lines of thinking from other Gospel-centered believers:

“The solution to our numbness to God’s grace is not nagging or scolding, but more grace.” -Jared C. Wilson

“Another verse I can’t find in the Bible: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you a challenge.” -Ray Ortlund

In other words, when you come to Jesus exhausted, thirsty, dirty, and your tail tucked between your legs, he doesn’t greet you with a look of disappointment or point his finger at you. He doesn’t tell you to get your act together, and “oh hey, by the way, stop doing these 10 things and go do these 10 things instead.” You have to remember, although we are made in His image, he doesn’t think like us or have the same limitations that we do. He doesn’t treat us the way people treat people. We can find rest for our souls in His presence. Remember, we will one day “enter His rest.” He “makes” us lie down in green pastures. (Ps. 23). He “leads” us beside still waters. Isn’t that cool; that even when we resist His rest, he will “make” us rest anyway?! If you have a view of Jesus as a hard master or a slave driver—I promise you—you’re not seeing him rightly. Enter his rest today. Let your soul be comforted and satisfied by Him. I’ll end with a good quote I just heard that was from the Puritan John Flavel:

“The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones. The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior’s presence. When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers.”