When You Are Tired Of The Pain

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

A number of years ago, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed a song called "Bridge Over Troubled Water" which reminds the listener that they have someone who will help them when their lives are troubled.  

 

What do you do when the hits keep coming and the hurts won't heal and you are on the brink of emotional collapse?  What do you do when you have become so angry, irritable, and frustrated all the time that you are snapping at everyone like an angry honey badger?  What do you do when you feel that you have nothing left to offer and you have reached the end of your rope?  

 

Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Let's put this into a little perspective...Jesus doesn't say "I might give you rest" nor did Jesus say "Take a number and I'll get back with you."  Jesus simply says, "Come to me."

 

When I was a child, I was not the epitome of grace and poise that I am today.  In fact, I was prone to fall down quite a lot, usually from an act of stupidity on my part.  When I did get hurt, I knew I could crawl up in my Dad's lap and he would comfort me.  Did he take the injury away?  No.  But I felt protected and at ease and comforted.  

 

Life isn't perfect.  We aren't perfect.  We hurt when people die.  We hurt when we get in trouble.  We hurt when others are cruel.  That pain is draining, and when it is compounded, we become like the boxer who has taken one too many punches.  Jesus offers us rest.  Why? Because He can, and because He has already seen the solution and knows our need for rest and restoration.  The lesson I have to learn every day (you'd think I'd have learned it by now) is that when I lean on Him and focus on Him, I am comforted.