Thought of the Day !!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Do you ever get weary, tired, worn out or burned out? Has your schedule ever been so hectic that you feel like you’re meeting yourself coming and going? Do you feel like you’re running on empty, or ever feel burdened to the point of exhaustion?

Some of you have been caregivers – whether to a family member, or to someone else – and you know what it takes out of a person to be on call continually…to sit at the hospital and wait night and day. There are a lot of things in life that can bring us to a point of feeling that our burdens are weighing us down.

In addition to all of these other pressures, sometimes we add to our emotional stress by taking frequent guilt trips because we’ve failed to live up to standards or ideals we’ve either set for ourselves, or allowed others to set for us. Perhaps we even imagine that God must be so disappointed in us because we’ve failed in so many areas.

Jesus knew what it was like to be weary, burdened, rejected, and ridiculed. He knew what it was to feel like He was on the outside looking in. It is likely that Jesus grew up labeled as an illegitimate child. He knew what it was like having people against him or who claimed to be his follower of friend only to leave when things didn't go their way. So when he spoke these words about having heavy burdens, He knew what the people then…and now are going through.

This Christmas season may be difficult for you. Maybe you've lost a loved one this year or are feeling alone. Maybe you're dealing with guilt or something altogether different, but just as emotionally straining. Jesus wants to help you through these difficult times. He never promises to make every bad thing go away, but He does promise to be there with us. Take those burdens to Him and believe that He will make sure you receive some rest.

In the love of Christ,
greg