In Touch With The Busyness In Your Life
Betty Miller Buttram
FWIS Contributing Writer
“Come to me and I will give you rest, all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke, for it fits perfectly, and let me teach you for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens. Matthew 11:28-30
A yoke is a wooden bar or frame by which two animals are coupled at the heads or necks for working together. It is also a frame fitted to a person’s shoulders to carry a load in two equal portions. In biblical times, this was actually hard work especially if that burdensome load was placed on a person’s shoulders. In today’s time, you might not have a wooden bar or a frame on your shoulders, but there are loads of responsibilities that you carry that can weigh on your mind. And if your mind cries out to your body that you are tired then it is time for you to rest.
Family responsibilities and working obligations will always be with you during your lifetime. There will always be a need for shelter, food, and clothing. There is no escaping this way of life. Community activities and other related business and social activities can add to the busyness of your days. As you negotiate through these commitments, be careful of your time and use it wisely to conserve the energy to do what God wants you to do.
There will be times when these additional tasks can become too heavy to carry. Do not overburden yourself. You must protect yourself from your ego and remind yourself that the body you inhabit is a gift from God and He expects you to take care of it. Do what you can to contribute but do not set your expectations too high because people’s perception of you might be how you see yourself. Distance yourself from that image for there is danger in living your life to please people. All these things can make you tired, and you will find that you will need to rest.
So, where do you go to get some rest? Where do you go after family and job responsibilities? Where do you go when you have involved yourself in too many outside commitments because you have a need to be useful outside of your real responsibilities? You go to the Word. You go to the Bible and spend some time with God. Scripture encourages us to put our hope in God. You find yourself a quiet place and have a conversation with Him.
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble or a tested help in times of trouble.”
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” God is aware of everything that you do. You can trust God to renew your strength through stress and other frustrating situations. You can trust God to help you lighten your burdens and make your own decisions on the directions you need to take to make your life a little easier. You do not have to please everybody. You just need to take care of yourself and that means taking care of your mind and body.