Real Rest

At some point in every day, I complain about how tired I am. At some point in every day, somebody complains to me about how tired they are. Everybody is tired. We're tired from not enough sleep, from too much work, from too much play, etc. Some nights I don't sleep enough because there's too much worry running through my head. Other nights I don't sleep because I have young children. Some nights I stay up late getting work done; others, I stay up too late watching TV. I get tired of my job, tired of checking papers, tired of attitudes, tired of the same old-same old, tired of battling, of dealing with difficult people, of my alarm clock, of cleaning my house, and on and on and on. Some of my coaching friends have even invented an entire fatigue sub-category: when a season is going particularly tough, they are fond of saying, "I'm the kind of tired that sleep won't fix." Exhaustion is everywhere. With more money, more technology, more caffeine, and more privilege than any other time in history, why can't we find rest?

Perhaps we're looking for rest in all the wrong places. I know I am an awful lot. Brain-blurry, I often collapse on my couch after the girls are in bed and convince myself I "deserve" some TV time. Yet I've never felt refreshed or rested after an evening of TV. Or I check Facebook or Twitter, trying to escape the fatigue in front of me. At least then I'm reading about how tired other people are. I attempt to escape mental fatigue through activity like exercise. I go to bed sooner and command my body and brain to fall asleep - NOW! - Do it! Futile.

I've forgotten the promises of real rest.

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest. . ." (Hebrews 4:9-11)

"Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul." (Psalm 23)

It will be easy this week, this Holy Week, to be too busy to realize this and  too tired to care. We are all weary, burdened, heavy-laden, exhausted, beaten down, and just done. All of us, in some way. Look to the cross, then, where the real Source of rest is waiting to restore your soul.